Sling Shot
by Writegirl
Summary: SG1 LOTR crossover. The great overhaul has begun! I am going back and rereading, adding, subtracting, and generally editing.
1. On Technical Screwups

"All right ladies, you know the drill. And Tealc, you know what I'm talkin' about so don't act like you don't."

The jaffa raised one eyebrow but did as he was told, taking point and sweeping the room with Major Carter.

"Look at this Jack. The architecture is phenomenal." Daniel took off his shades, marveling at the arches and columns of the room they were currently in. "The closest I can come up with in comparison would be art deco."

Colonel O'Neill walked a few feet away from the gate, laying a hand on the DHD. As far as he could tell the place didn't look deserted. In fact, it looked well cared for. Several crates were neatly stacked around the stargate, their shapes visible in the gloomy light that trailed in from slits in the ceiling. Jack looked at the archeologist. "As in twentieth century art deco?"

"Well I didn't know there was another art deco movement, Jack."

The colonel sighed. Why did all the smart asses in the world seem to come to him? "Bitchy today, aren't we?"

Daniel didn't answer; instead he began examining the writing on one of the many crates around the large chamber. "I've never seen this form of writing," he said, leaning down for a closer look. " It may be related to Arabic, but none of the structures are similar." Then he turned to the gate. "Uh oh."

"Uh oh?" Jack walked until he stood next to the archeologist, then focused his gaze on what held Daniel so transfixed. Choking, he walked over to the DHD, fishing out his flashlight. Uh oh. "Sam, you might wanna take a look at this."

"Yes sir?" Sam walked to the DHD, pausing mid-stride. "Oh, crap."

Jack took off his hat, slapping it against his thigh. "When we get home, remind me to kill all the techs."

The three stared at the gate, trying to fight down their apprehension. The stargate symbols were missing, the surface of the inner ring smooth as glass.

As were the symbols on the DHD.

"Of all the goddamned stupid-"

"O'Neill, I believe I have found an exit." Teal'cs voice sounded far away, echoing around them. Sighing, Jack walked towards the voice, aware of Daniel and Sam following him. How the hell were they supposed to get home now? And who the hell okayed this site in the first place?

"Major, please tell me you didn't know about this."

Sam shook her head. "The pictures I received showed a fully operational DHD and stargate, complete with symbols." Sam looked around the room. "This place was different though. Not nearly as kept up as it is now."

"Sam, you don't think we did another time jump, do you?"

"No." Carter shouldered her P90. "We've been using the tech the Tok'ra gave us to make sure that never happens again. Even if we did we'd just be back on our own planet. As far as I know the gate was never kept in a place like this."

"What if we hit a solar flare away from earth?" When two eyes stared at him, Jack shrugged. "Just a thought. If we can pass through a star we can pass close enough to get screwed by its magnets, right?"

Sam nodded. "It's possible, sir. But we still would have gone back to our point of origin. The subspace field wouldn't be able to sling shot us anywhere else."

"Then why doesn't this gate have any symbols?"

Daniels question was soft, and Jack glanced back at the gate, freezing. "Oh, for cryinoutloud!"

"What?" Daniel looked back. "Uh, guys, where's the gate?"

* * *

Sorry, I couldn't help it! Don't blame me, blame my muse, she wont let me sleep! Please, send all thoughts and comments my way, remember, if I don't see them I cant fix whats wrong. Reviews will be met with much groveling and thanks! Flames will be laughed at and eaten with soy sauce!

Mondo apologies for the fucked up script. When I first posted this a LOOOONNNNGGGG time ago there wasn't anything wrong with it, so I don't know why it went psycho.


	2. The Natives are Restless

"Teal'c! Get back here double quick."

Jack sighed, rubbing his forehead as he looked at the spot where the stargate used to be. He couldn't believe it. Not again.

He turned to Daniel. "You don't think this could be a Nox planet, do you?"

The archeologist shook his head, running a hand over the crates surrounding them. "No. It's too structured for the Nox. At least, from what we've seen of them."

"O'Neill."

The colonel turned to Teal'c. "You found an exit, right?"

"_Daro_!"

Jack blinked, raising his gun only by instinct. The once empty room they were in was suddenly filled with people. He almost laughed when he saw their weapons. Nothing but bows and arrows. In a firefight they had the advantage, but he knew the kind of damage a well-placed arrow could do, and these people looked like anything but amateurs.

"Daniel?" he said quietly. "Want to start earning your paycheck?" He looked over when he didn't get a response. "Danny?"

"Right," Daniel said, halting his internal cataloguing of their arrows and bow forms. Not that he was having much luck there anyway. "Hello. We're friendly explorers." He moved forward slightly, only to be pushed back as the bows were raised higher. "Okay, I'll stay right here then."

_"__O man dôr túliel le?"_

Daniel shook his head. "I have no clue what their saying, guys." He said softly, backing further into the group. "The good news is they haven't fired yet, which means they won't if we don't make them feel threatened."

"_Sedho!"_ One of them detached himself from the others, strolling forward. He was as tall as the others, though he didn't carry a bow. Instead he had a long blade tucked into his belt and carried it with the ease of someone accustomed to its being there. " _Man nalyë sinomë__?"_

Daniel lifted his hands palms up. "Man…manal?"

Dark blue eyes narrowed, studying the three, eyes settling on Sam. "_Man eneth lín_?"

The question was directed at her.

"Sir?" she asked, keeping her gun trained.

Daniel turned to the blond. "They might think you're one of them Sam." The people surrounding them were mostly dark of hair, but some had the same bright blonde as the major.

"Don't know, Carter. Teal'c, you ever hear of any people like this?"

"I have never heard this language before, O'Neill." The jaffa answered.

"_Lova Nat'llie."_ He pointed to Jack's gun and lowered his hand.

"I think he wants you to put it away-"

"Yeah, I kinda noticed that Daniel." Jack sighed, slowly lowering his gun until the muzzle pointed to the floor. When he didn't get shot immediately some of the tension left him. "Do it," he ordered, glancing at Teal'c and Carter.

Two of their captors stepped forward, taking the guns, zats, and staff weapon and laying them on a nearby crate. Their leader looked pointedly at Jack, then to his knife.

"Oh, fercryinoutloud!" he sighed, unstrapping his last weapon and handing it to them, hearing Carter do the same. "Daniel, I hope this works out."

"Me too," the archeologist, turning to their guide.

"_Tula nin."_ He turned, and began making his way through the maze of crates.

Daniel walked after him. "I think we're supposed to follow him." He stated before walking off.

Jack jumped when he felt the point of an arrow pushing between his shoulder blades. "Yeah, I think so too."

* * *

Elrond looked up when his chief pathfinder Glorfindel entered the room. He was sitting on the large bed, stroking the hair of his newest guest. He nodded to Gandalf, who sat holding Frodo's hand as he slept before standing. The young hobbit had only entered Rivendell an hour ago, and they had almost lost him to the wraiths. The pale body was still cold, but their power was fighting off the evil, and heat was slowly returning to him.

"Master Elrond, I'm sorry to interrupt such grave workings." Glorfindel said, bowing slightly. "We have found intruders in the old store room. Four of them, carrying what I assume were weapons, but unlike anything I've ever seen. They did not understand our tongue, nor Common."

Elrond looked back into the room. If they were minions of Sauron Frodo might still be in danger. "Where are they now?"

"They were taken to one of the holding cells, under heavy guard. They await your questioning."

Elrond nodded, returning to his friend and their patient.

"We very nearly lost him." Gandalf said quietly, stroking the limp hand. "Another hour and he would have traveled beyond our aid."

The elf managed a tight smile. "He is strong, old friend. He will survive."

Gandalf looked to Frodo, whose breathing was only just beginning to improve. "Do you think these…visitors… are from Sauron?"

"We will find out soon enough." Elrond answered. "I go to question them now. Would you accompany me? Arwen will look after Frodo, if you are concerned for his welfare."

Gandalf nodded, laying the hobbits hand gently on his chest. "Let us go."

* * *

Jack paced the small room they were in. As far as prisons went, this one was nice. The floor was polished wood, the benches were soft, and a large window let in plenty of light. The only thing reminding him that they were prisoners was the fact that the window was barred, and the heavy door leading to the room was locked.

The damn thing didn't even have the decency to move when he pulled it.

"Any ideas on what the hell happened to land us here?" He asked, sitting down on the floor.

Sam shook her head. "This is not the planet we scouted out, sir. As far as we could tell PJH-980 was deserted, with no sign of habitable structures within twenty miles of the gate. Unless this place sprang up over night, I don't see how it got here."

"Could we be on some kinda Goa'uld ship?"

Daniel sighed. "I don't think so, Jack. Those weren't Jaffa who led us in here, and this is unlike any Goa'uld ship I've ever seen or heard of. The gate must have just…malfunctioned."

The colonel scratched his head. "Then why did it disappear?" When none of his teammates answered he frowned. "All things considered, we might be here for the duration. At least until we find the gate."

"That might not even work, sir." Sam piped up. "There were no symbols on the gate, or the DHD. Even if we managed to find it there's no way we could dial home."

"You know, Carter? Sometimes you could try to lie to-"

Jack stopped as the door opened and two men walked in. One was dressed in gray, shabby robes, and looked like he'd never seen a barber or knew what a razor was. He also looked like he should be entering a retirement home, not interrogating prisoners. Despite his appearance he had an air of power about him that was hard to ignore. The other was well groomed, with long dark hair, wearing a long burgundy robe. Both were tall and imposing, though neither one was armed. Jack cringed inside. That could only mean two things: these people were really stupid, or they had no fear of the people they held prisoner.

_"__Pedich Edhellen?" _The question came from the dark-haired man, and it was directed at Jack.

"Listen, we don't understand what you're saying." When all he got in return was a quizzical stare he turned to Daniel. "Danny-boy? You're up."

Daniel stood, walking to within a few feet of the two men. "Szia. við ert ferðast." The two men looked at each other and then turned back, looking between him and Jack.

"_Ya auta yeste'?"_

Jack stood up, "I know that one. They want to know who's in charge. I am," he said. "And I don't mind saying that this is by far the best jail I've ever been in. Really."

"_Kilnohi graderan nich talanaq vorbei callad."_ The gray one said, pointing his hand towards him.

"Danny, you have any-"

Before he could finish his sentence Jack was cut off by a slicing pain in his head, and everything went dark.

* * *

Thank you so much for reading. Please remember to review. And for those of you who are interested, here is a translation of the elven:

_Daro_: Halt!

_O man dôr túliel le__:_ Where are you from?

_Sedho: _Quiet!

_Man nalyë sinomë__:_ Why are you here?

_Mani naa essa en lle:_ What's your name?

_Lova Nat'llie: _Lower your things.

_Tula nin: _follow me

_Pedich Edhellen__:_ Do you speak Elvish?

_Ya auta yeste':_ Who leads?

It has been brought to my attention (and I've said several times in other posts) that some of the elvish isn't true Tolkien elvish, but something called Grey Elvish, which is a hodgepodge of different languages from different fandoms. For Tolkien purists out there, I apologize. I am trying to find alternate translation for the elvish, and am slowly replacing the Grey Elvish with Sindarin and Quenya phrases.


	3. Captives

_Okay, head…check…fingers…check…toes…check…_

Jack kept his eyes closed as he took in his surroundings. He was in a bed, if the material rubbing against him was any indication. Not just any bed, but one of the softest he'd ever been in, and unless his BDU's had managed to change their feel he was wearing new clothes too. Sunlight was pouring over him, birds were chirping outside. This had to be the most peaceful awakening he'd had in a long time.

"It is all right, you can open your eyes now."

Jack did, and he blinked them, just to make sure he wasn't still dreaming. The room- if you could call it that, since it missed little things like walls- was beige, the single wall he could see almost glowing in the sunlight. Where walls should have been there were large alcoves leading onto a balcony, alcoves that didn't have anything separating the room from the outside.

Jack sat up, only to fall back down. His head _hurt_. "So you speak English, now?" he asked, one hand rubbing the back of his head.

The dark haired man smiled. "It is you who are speaking elvish."

_Elvish? _Jack lifted an eyebrow. "Elvish?"

"You have never heard of elves?"

He laughed. "Sure, when I was a kid, but elves…don't…"

It was then that he noticed something that had nagged him since first meeting the security guards. Their ears. They weren't round. In fact, they were lobe less, stuck out slightly, and were just a little…pointed. "Holy shit. I'm speaking elvish."

The man nodded, moving to the bedside table. "Would you like some water?" His tone was pleasant as he poured a large goblet full from a waiting pitcher. "Gandalf explained that you would likely be thirsty when you woke."

"Yeah. Thanks." Jack eyed the goblet he was handed, noting the design and detail. If this was how these people…elves… he corrected himself, treated their captives they could teach the Goa'uld a lot about prisoner care.

After a careful sniff Jack decided to take a drink. The water was cool, crisp. By far the best water he'd ever had. "If you don't mind me asking, who are you?" Jack stopped. It sounded like he was speaking English, but his mouth wasn't making the right formations.

The man turned, settling into a chair next to the bed. " I am Elrond. And this is my home, Rivendell."

Jack nodded. "Jack O'Neill. Colonel. United States Airforce." He rubbed his eyes. "Where's my team?"

Elrond nodded gravely. "Then you are military, as Glorfindel first suspected. Your people are fine. In rooms such as this one."

"Yeah, we are." Jack sat up slowly this time, grateful when his head didn't protest. "Listen, we didn't mean to intrude. We're explorers from a place called Earth. And as soon as you let us go we can go back, no harm done."

Elrond was puzzled. "You are on Earth, my friend. Middle Earth."

Jack shook his head. "No, no 'middle', just Earth. In my world…well… elves are myths, right along with fairies, dwarves, trolls."

Elrond laughed. "I'm afraid our world are quite different. Here trolls and dwarves are very real creatures. As are elves." He folded his hands. "Which brings us to another question. If you are indeed from another world, how did you find your way into ours?"

Jack sighed. "Don't ask me for details, that's Carter's job-"

"The woman who accompanied you?"

"That's her. We came here through a big stone ring. We call it a stargate. It has symbols on it, and when they turn they connect you to other planets."

The elf froze, the open expression he wore fading. For a moment it looked like he was going to speak. Jack was forced to crane his neck when he instead stood. The man was taller than Teal'c by at least a head. " I must leave you now, but I will return. This room is yours for as long as you remain here. I will have food brought to you. If you try to leave these rooms, you will be returned to the holding cell."

"Right."

Jack waited ten minutes then walked to the door. It was like the first; heavily carved, dark wood with a single large handle, but this one opened with the barest pull. Four pairs of blue eyes turned to him when he stuck his head out, one from either side of the door and two from across the hall.

"You have need of something?" The one on the left asked.

_Yeah, a way to get out of here. _The colonel shook his head. "Not right now." He closed the door and leaned against it. Not prisoners, but not trusted either.

Jack walked around the room slowly, wishing for a day when they could have a simple recon mission.

* * *

"Have the others awakened?"

Gandalf looked at his friend. "The woman and young man are still sleeping. The darker man awoke some time ago, but refuses to talk." He narrowed his eyes, "What has troubled you?"

Elrond sighed. "The one we suspected as being their leader is awake. He says they come from a place called simply 'Earth'. They also claim to have come through the _resttinaa_."

The wizard looked away. "It cannot be. That cursed stone is gone, given to the elves to see to its destruction." When Elrond didn't reply, he turned. "It was destroyed, Elrond?"

"We could not destroy it, but spells were placed on it that we thought would prevent any from coming through again. For centuries after the coming of the Cursed One, it lay dormant, refusing to bend under the most powerful spells we could bring against it. My wife's grandmother cast the final spells, which we hoped would prevent it from ever being used again."

" Well, those spells are either fading or completely gone," Gandalf muttered. "They came through. And if they can, so can others."

Elrond nodded. " I will send Glorfindel to the store rooms. If it is there, we may have more problems now that we first suspected." He sighed. "How is Frodo?"

"Still unconscious, I'm afraid," came the weary reply. " He may not awaken for another week, if not more. The poison ran deep into him, and refuses to be fully purged. He may yet fall prey to its evil."

"And Bilbo?"

Gandalf lowered his head. "A wreck, if ever I've seen one. He doesn't know which to do; stay by the boy and shake him awake or let him have his rest. It has been many years since the two have seen each other, and this is not the best way to greet beloved family."

Elrond looked to their young charge. Bilbo had spoken often of the boy, of his kindness and desire to travel, just as cousin had. "I will have Liath make sure Bilbo does not make a nuisance of himself as he heals. In the meantime, perhaps it would be best to take our dark friend to his leader. Once assured that his companion is well, he may be more talkative."

* * *

Jack plucked at the gown he wore. It felt like some kind of silk, with golden clasps that complimented its off white color. The gown went to his feet, brushing the top of them when he walked.

"Could be worse," he said to himself.

After checking the door a second time he started in on the rest of his surroundings. The furniture in the room was all bolted down. He thought it was bolted, at least, though he had suspicions about one of the side tables that seemed to grow from out of the floor itself. There was nothing he could use as a weapon, unless his captors were especially vulnerable to pillow attack.

"Wow," he whispered, taking in the view from his room. Water. Or more precisely, waterfalls were everywhere. Big ones, small ones, one even went under his balcony. The house extended on both sides of him, blending in with trees, graceful arches and pale domes that were as much a part of the land as vegetation was.

He turned, looking at his bed. A smiling girl dancing around a bush made up the headboard, all twists and vines. Whoever these people…elves…were, they had a definite appreciation of beauty and nature.

Despite the beauty around him, it was clear the room was meant to house an undesirable. The walls to either side of the balcony were sheer, the only way out of the room a long drop to frothing water twenty feet below. That kind of churning could only be caused by rocks close to the surface. No way out there, then.

A knock was all the warning he had before an elf entered carrying a tray. "Lord Elrond said you were awake and no doubt hungry."

"Thanks." Jack said, walking towards the dark haired elf. _Man, these guys are tall_, he thought. He barely reached the elf's chin. They were thin too. This one was wearing robes like Elrond, only they were deep blue. "I'm Jack." He extended his hand.

The elf looked from it to Jack's eyes, then tentatively wrapped his hand around the man's wrist. Jack shrugged internally and grabbed the elf's wrist, giving the arm a hearty shake. "I am Narathon, steward in Rivendell." He narrowed his eyes. "Jack is an odd name. It lacks…music."

Jack shrugged. "My whole name is Jonathan," he explained. "But most people call me Jack."

Narathon tilted his head. "Jeanathan. I like that better."

Jack hated to admit it, but it sounded better when the elf said it. "Then Jonathan it is." Jack looked around. "I don't know if you know this, but…where are my clothes?"

Narathon smiled. "They were taken away. We did not think you would be so eager to leave if you did not have your equipment."

Jack fought the urge to sigh. So much for that idea. "Any chance of getting them back?"

"In time." The elf turned as someone knocked on the door. "Enter."

Jack almost jumped for joy when Teal'c filled the doorway wearing a robe like his, only in black. He glanced around the room, then stepped inside, keeping a good distance between himself and Narathon.

"Good," the steward said. "We felt you would be more comfortable if you were allowed to see that your friends were indeed doing well. We will send the two others as soon as they awaken." With that the elf bowed and left, shutting the heavy door behind him.

Jack turned to the Jaffa. "Teal'c? They treatin ya all right?"

Teal'c nodded. "I have not been mistreated since our last parting."

"Good. Any word yet on Carter or Daniel?"

The jaffa shook his head. "The people holding us told me that they would recover with time, and were being well cared for. Outside that I do not know."

The Colonel sat on the bed. "You hungry? They just bought a tray of food." He pointed to the tray, noticing now how large it was. They must have known Teal'c was on his way.

"Would it be wise to partake of anything we are given while being held captive?"

Jack fell back on the bed, fighting the urge to smile as he sank in to the thick mattress. Yeah, these people knew how to treat prisoners. "It's either that or starve, big guy."

Teal'c nodded, removing the tray's cover. Two plates filled with cheese and fruit, and two goblets of what looked like wine were there, along with a loaf of bread, butter and a small serving knife.

Jack walked over to the small table, popping a grape into his mouth. "Eat first, then talk."

* * *

Daniel woke with a start at the feel of something cold on his forehead. He jerked up, and then crashed back down with a groan. One of these days he was going to get the number of the truck that hit him, he swore it.

"Are you well?"

He opened his eyes. The world around him was a bright blur. He blinked repeatedly, trying to clear his vision. "Glasses," he said his voice hoarse.

"Glasses? Do you mean these?" something thin and black made its way through the blur, and he reached for them, settling his glasses on his nose with a sigh. Being able to see what was coming was much better.

"They are an aid of some sort?"

This time Daniel found the owner of the voice. A tall woman was standing next to his bed, holding the cloth he suspected to have been on his head. Her hair was almost platinum, and her eyes were lilac, pure lilac. "Yes. They help me see." He sat up, ignoring the hammering behind his eyes. "I'm Daniel, Daniel Jackson."

The woman bowed. "I am Yalan. Lord Elrond began to worry when you did not awaken, and sent me to care for you."

Daniel looked around the room. "So I take it you speak English after all," he said, marveling at the designs he saw around him. "How long have I been…" he trailed off. There was something wrong with what he was saying, he could feel it. It sounded like he was speaking English, but he wasn't. His mouth wasn't moving right, making different inflections. "You gave me your language?"

Yalan nodded. "Mithrandir thought it would be best, since we could not understand you." She examined him, taking in his pinched features, the lines of strain around his mouth and eyes. "He assures me that the pain will fade with time."

Daniel nodded, then looked down at himself. Someone had changed his clothes when he was out, and the memory of the last time he'd woken up in new clothes made him shiver. Like those, these were delicately wrought and of something similar to silk, only this time they were forest green.

"Are you all right, Daniel? Is it too cold?"

He shook his head, swinging his legs onto the floor. "No, I was just… remembering something." He walked slowly to the balcony, running a gentle hand over the arches and their twining construction. "This is incredible. It looks almost like the root system of a tree."

Yalan smiled, coming to stand next to him, and he saw that she stood even with his six feet, two inches. "It is designed that way. As is all of Rivendell."

"Rivendell?"

"It is the place where you are." She pointed outside, and Daniel noted that where there should have been glass, there wasn't. "Rivendell stretches throughout this valley. You are in its main house, that of Master Elrond."

Daniel walked out onto the balcony, and stopped, stunned. He had been several places in his life, from the great palaces of Earth to those that spanned across galaxies, but never had he seen a more breathtaking sight. "It's beautiful."

"I will be sure to tell Lord Elrond that you approve, Daniel."

The archeologist turned to her, and froze. She was still looking out towards the view, and he caught sight of her ear, peeking out from her long blond hair.

Her pointed ear.

"Yalan?" He asked, trying to be as delicate as possible. "What are you?"

She smiled. "I am an elf, Daniel. Just as you are a human."

"Then I'm speaking…"

"Elvish. Sindarin, if you wish to be precise."

Before he could ask another question the door opened, and Yalan turned, bowing deeply. "Mithrandir, Lord Elrond."

"Yalan." The gray one said. "So our guest has awakened?"

Daniel cleared his throat. "Yes, he has."

The dark one turned to the elf woman. "Yalan, Arwen needs your help. It appears one of our hobbit guests has found the kitchens."

The woman smiled before heading to the door, closing it behind her. "Hobbit?" Daniel asked.

The gray one laughed. "A creature the size of a child who can eat more than the three of us together."

The dark one smiled sadly before turning to Daniel. "I am Elrond, Lord of Rivendell, and this is my home."

"Daniel Jackson." He looked at the gray one, "Then you must be Mithrandir."

The man smiled. "Please, call me Gandalf."

Daniel smiled back. "Pleased to meet you. We were just discussing the architecture of this place. Its magnificent, almost modern art deco but reminiscent of the late Grecian period…" he trailed off. "And you have no idea what I'm talking about do you?"

Elrond and Gandalf looked between each other. "You are a student, that much is clear."

"Yes, I'm a student of ancient cultures on my world, as well as languages."

"Then you must find all of this fascinating." Gandalf said, sitting in a chair.

Daniel smiled. "I suppose I should be worried about what you're going to do to us."

Elrond's expression was serious. "We wish only to ascertain why you are here and where you come from. Your leader, Jack, says you are from a place called Earth."

The archeologist nodded. "Yes, that's our planet. We weren't supposed to come here. The place we were going didn't have any indigenous life that we could find, but somehow we ended up here."

The two shared a glance, then turned back to the archeologist. "Tell me about your travels," Gandalf said, taking out a long-stemmed pipe.

* * *

Thank you for reading! Please take the time to review, its greatly appreciated. Special thanks to those who do, especially GG, Mara, J, Fool of a Spacemonkey, Celeste, Watershadow and Jessica, who have been good at keeping my Muse here and torturing me!

Oh, and Fool of a Spacemonkey? It is highly unlikely that the form of English we speak on earth could have evolved on another planet, no matter what the show might say. It would mean their history would have had to follow the same flow as ours did, and the chances are literally in the millions as to that happening on planets in which the population is isolated and drawn from one single group and time period. PLUS in this story I'm taking the road that middle earth is actually in another dimension. Don't ask the specifics, that's Carters job.

Tolkien did write the books in English, true, but I find it hard to believe he would expect the people who lived there to speak English if Middle Earth was supposed to be before recorded history, it would mean we have actually gone backwards as far as the development of language goes. That's not to say that they didn't speak some form of old English, in which case SG1 would still be unable to understand them.

And yes I do get the significance of you name. J


	4. History Lessons

_Can you hear me, little one? Please, you must wake now…  
_  
Sam groaned, rolled onto her side and buried her face further into her pillow. Vaguely, she was aware of the sun on her back, knew that if she didn't get up she'd make them late for PJH-980…

Holy shit! Sam sat up, wincing as her heat started to pound in protest. This had to be the worst hangover she'd ever had, including her years at OTC. Her head hurt, her mouth was dry, and it felt like her eyes were swimming. The next time she wanted to unwind after work, she was sticking with lemonade.

"The pain will pass. It will be better for you to lie down."

Sam twisted around, almost doubling over as pain traveled behind her eyes. The owner of the voice belonged to an old man, smoking an extremely long pipe.

"I would have awakened you sooner, but your friends warned me that you bite when awakened unexpectedly." The gray-haired man smiled around his pipe at her blank stare. "Your friends have been most forthcoming, especially the one who calls himself O'Neill. He has been on the wrong end of your teeth before."

Sam blushed. Take one bite out of a man, and you were marked for life.

He walked forward, holding out a goblet. "The spell has no doubt weakened you. This will help." He held it in front of her until she took it. "I am Gandalf."

Sam eyed the goblet as heat began to seep into her palm. "Samantha Carter." She looked around the room again, and stopped. No way those were windows…

As if to prove her point a lark flew in, settling on a ridge on the headboard. She jumped when she heard Gandalf laugh.

"Don't worry, wonder is something that all people have when they see the beauty of Rivendell."

Sam took a nervous swallow from her cup. The stuff tasted almost like hot chocolate, but thinner.

The two sat in silence for several minutes, Gandalf letting her take in her surroundings. She could imagine Daniel asking questions about the architecture, trying to compare it to something on earth to figure out where these people came from, and when. The colonel was probably asking about the fishing. "My friends?"

Gandalf looked up. "Ah, yes. They have been waiting some time for you to awaken, young lady." There was a mock sternness in his voice that made her laugh. "They awakened hours ago."

Sam swung her legs out of the bed, looking down at herself. She wasn't wearing her standard BDU's. Instead she was wearing a white gown that left her feeling naked. It was then that she noticed something else. "Um, my clothes?"

Gandalf sighed, standing and motioning for her to do so also. "We felt it would be best if you did not have the clothing you wore when you arrived. These are also more comfortable, are they not?"

Sam looked down on herself. Yeah they were, but… "There's something that I have to wear, it's used to hold up… to support…"

When all she got was a quizzical stare, she sighed. "I take it you didn't undress me then."

Gandalf laughed. "Oh, goodness no! Elrond had his maidens take care of the task of bathing and dressing you, just as his pathfinders took care of your men."

"Elrond?"

Gandalf herded her towards a door. "He is currently speaking with your men. I will take you to them."

Carter tried to remember the way back to her room, but she found herself getting confused less than a minute in. Was that two lefts, three rights and half a left, or the other way around. The hallways all looked the same, beautiful but somehow stark.

Jack stood up when the door opened, smiling when he saw Sam. "Good to see you again, major. Enjoy your beauty sleep?"

"Telling tales about me sir?"

Jack held a hand to his chest, a look of shock on his face. "Me, of course not. Daniel here's the one who told you snored-"

"Jack!"

Daniel looked at Sam, shaking his head vehemently as Teal'c watched the exchange with silence.

"As you can see, Colonel O'Neill, she is none the worse for wear," Gandalf said, moving to sit next to Elrond.

Jack nodded. "So Sam, how does it feel to speak elvish?"

Sam was puzzled. "Elvish, sir?"

"Just listen to yourself, Sam," Daniel supplied. "It's actually rather interesting when you finally realize it."

Sam looked between her teammates. "I'm not, I can't be, elves don't even…"

She stopped, then looked from her companions to the two men sitting calmly. "Elvish?"

The dark haird one, Elrond, lifted his chin. "Jack tells me that there are no elves in your world. Here, in Middle Earth, we are quite real."

Sam's eyes darted to his ears. They weren't overly large, but they were definitely pointed. "Holy Hannah."

Jack sighed. "Yep. Seems we landed ourselves in a place every kid would love to visit."

She looked at Gandalf. "But you're…well…"

"Old?" The wizard asked. "I assure you, I am far older than you could imagine. But that is neither here nor there." He gestured towards a table. "There is food if you want it. Please, sit and talk with us."

Sam walked over, finding a place between Jack and Teal'c.

"I was just telling your friends about Rivendell, and my people."

Sam could imagine. "I'd be more concerned about where you keep the stargate. Um, the device we used to get here."

Daniel fidgeted. "They can't find it, Sam. Elrond says his men searched the storage room top to bottom, but there's no sign of it or the DHD."

"Did you ever use it?" Sam asked, eyes moving to Gandalf.

Gandalf looked to Elrond. "This is a tale better told by an elf."

The elven lord looked between the four of them before speaking. "Millennia ago, before the awakening of men or elves in this world and time gained meaning; the _resttinaa _was placed on this world. How, no one knows."

"So it just magically showed up?" Jack asked.

Elrond nodded in assent. "That is one way to describe it. It remained there, silent, little more than a ring of stone. Then one night, it awakened." He took a deep breath. "That night is one of the darkest in the history of this world. Until then, the Valar, fourteen spirits that were sent to govern our world, had been peaceful, setting things to rights for the coming of elves and men. Something came from the resttinaa, neither animal nor plant, and died on the steps leading to the great circle. The one who found it was never the same. His name is forbidden to be spoken, but he became the Dark One. Something passed from that creature to him, and changed him. He began craving power, wanting only to harm and dominate not only his brothers, but all creatures. He seduced the darker creatures to his side, creatures whose name it is forbidden to speak of, and waged war on his brothers."

Elrond noticed the faces of his audience. Gandalf held his usual passive expression, but the four others were white.

It was Daniel who spoke up. "This Dark One, did his eyes glow?"

Elrond started. "How did you…"

"I knew it," this came from Jack. "I think we know what happened to this Dark One, Elrond. Something we call a Goa'uld got control of him. Basically, it's like a snake that takes control of a host, kinda like a parasite."

Elrond sighed. "Then this…Gua'old as you called it, almost destroyed this world. He threw down the great lamps of the Valar, which were to illuminate this world, and destroyed Almaren, the dwelling of the Valar, before fleeing Arda into middle earth. The Valar feared for the elves, and waged war on the Dark One. The destruction was vast, and much of those lands now lie beneath the seas. He was captured and held captive for three ages."

"Ages?" Jack repeated.

"There is no way to know for sure how long a time that is. The Valar are immortal, and did not judge time by such things as days. At the end of this time he was released, fooling his captors into believing that he was turned from his evil ways. He destroyed to Two Great Trees that gave light to the world, stole the sacred stones, and fled once again into Middle Earth."

Daniel looked outside. "Then how do you have a sun?" It was fascinating, the myths of these people, elves, but not unlike many on earth.

Elrond smiled. "The last fruit and flower of the Two Trees was made into the sun and moon. By this time the elves had awakened, and waged war on the Dark One for several centuries. The Noldor were almost defeated, until the Valar aided them and the Dark One, who called himself Morgoth, was finally overthrown. The Valar returned him to the gate that spawned his evil, and threw him through it."

Teal'c raised an eyebrow. "You unleashed this creature into other helpless worlds?"

Elrond was taken aback. "There is only one way to destroy a Valar, and that is to remove them from the land they were given. They hoped that once Morgoth was banished, he would succumb to his wounds. There is no clear record of how long the Valar struggled with the machine until it finally worked, but once it was done, powerful spells were placed on the resttinaa to keep another from coming through."

When he looked at them again, his blue eyes filled with worry. "And now, you have come through."


	5. Dinner

Teal'c walked through the gardens of Rivendell, admiring their beauty. As First Prime of Apophis he had seen sights that most humans could only dream of, places that defied description in any language. This place, with its sense of peace to accompany its beauty, was the most wonderful he had ever seen.

There was no true distinction between the house and the forest beyond. One moment he was walking through marbled halls, the next the trees painted overhead gave way to clear skies and creaking boughs. The floors were strewn with leaves inside or out, and vaguely he wondered how the elves managed to keep animals from fouling the polished wood.

He nodded as he passed one of the guards, who returned the gesture before continuing on his way. After two days of questioning Elrond had allowed them the run of his home as long as they swore not to attempt to escape or harm anyone. For the simple pleasure of being so near an almost uncorrupted nature, Teal'c was happy to oblige. They still had guards, men seldom seen that trailed each of them when they left their rooms. Trusting, these elves were, but not foolish. The sun was just beginning to set, burnishing the foliage with its light.

"Here now, you're a big one."

Teal'c looked around, trying to locate the voice.

"I'm down here, sir."

Teal'c looked down, and saw what he would have assumed was a child, but for the depth of his voice. The boy stood no taller than his upper thigh, his curly hair covering his ears. Teal'c assumed he was an elf child. O'Neill had explained to him that elves aged very slowly, so this might be natural for one of their own. "Is there something I can assist you with?"

The boy shook his head. "No, I was just wonderin' who ye were. Everyone's been so secret around here for the past two days I was startin' to worry."

Teal'c raised one eyebrow. "I am Teal'c. My companions and I arrived in Rivendell early yesterday morning."

The child smiled. "I'm Peregrine, most everyone calls be Pippin, or Pip dependin' on their mood, though Gandalf tends to call me a Took most of the time." He held out his small hand, wincing when Teal'c shook it. "That's some grip. Ye might want te tone it down next time though."

Teal'c nodded. "Indeed," his eyes searched the surrounding area. "Should not a child be accompanied by his parents?"

Pip looked at him, then his eyes widened, his mouth making a silent 'oh'. "I'm not an elf, if that's what yer thinkin'. I'm a Hobbit, and it's been a while since I've needed anyone te look out for me."

The jaffa tilted his head. "What is a hobbit?"

Pip smiled, swinging his arm in the direction of the path they were on.

"I"ll tell ye all about us." The child… hobbit… he corrected himself, started talking almost immediately, his lilting voice charming Teal'c instantly.

* * *

Daniel watched as Gandalf made another smoke figure, a large eagle with wings spread and talons reaching for invisible prey spiraling into the room. The two had been talking since Elrond left them earlier, and he was still full of questions.

"You're world sounds unbearably dull, with no magic and nothing but humans running about."

He smiled at Gandalf, "Sometimes it can be, but I'm glad we don't have elves. The humans of my world fear what they do not understand, and probably would have hunted them down ages ago."

Gandalf's expression was sad, but understanding. "Then how do you know that the elves aren't simply hiding among your people? Or in the wilderness, what little is left of it?"

Daniel thought for a moment. There were still places in the world where very few people, if any, had ever set foot. "You might be right. It would explain the legends of elf-like creatures in almost all cultures, from Asian to European to Early American." He had a thought. "Do unicorns exist here?" At Gandalf's blank expression he explained.

The wizard thought for a moment. "There were creatures like what you speak of, Ages ago, before the twilight of the world was ended. I have never heard of a man, or elf, seeing such a creature since."

Daniel walked onto the balcony and took a deep breath. "I still can't believe that I'm actually here. Any minute now I expect to wake up in my apartment, and have all this be a dream."

Gandalf moved to stand next to him, watching the beauty of Rivendell in the setting sun. "There are few places in this world that are a match for this place, both in beauty and peace. The only place that I can think of that surpasses this would be Lothlorien."

"Lothlorien?"

Gandalf nodded. "It is another elven city, one of the four that still exist in this world. It is home to the Silvan elves, of which the peoples of Rivendell are descended." He ran a hand over the banister, which was carved in the likeness of a tree trunk. " Rivendell is an attempt to recreate that place, and while it does not truly surpass it in beauty, it does have one all its own."

Daniel sighed, before turning to his companion. The wizard had been smoking something for some time now, and he wondered if it was a form of tobacco, since it reminded him of the sweet smelling stuff his father used to smoke. "Gandalf, what are you smoking?"

The wizard smiled, taking his pipe out of his mouth, "It is weed, as the hobbits call it. I'm afraid it has become something of a habit of mine, especially when thinking."

"Is it addictive?"

Gandalf laughed. "Goodness, no! At least, I've never heard of someone being unable to stop smoking the weed. It is mostly calming, and has a pleasant smell." He reached in his robes, removing a leather package containing another pipe and a small, tied pouch. "Would you like to try it?"

Daniel smiled, taking the pipe as Gandalf explained the proper way to pack the weed. Well, as they say: when in Rome.

* * *

Jack stared into the still waters of one of the several pools of Rivendell, watching as the stars slowly came out in the sky over his head. He remembered dreaming of a place like this, well not exactly like this, but a place with wizards and witches, elves and dwarves and warriors. He'd stopped having those dreams when his Dad told him to get his head out of the clouds and start living in the now, instead of somewhere that didn't even exist.

His old man just didn't say it in such nice words.

Here he was, a man on the wrong side of forty realizing that all those places he fantasized about as a child did exist, he'd just had to wait a few decades to get there.

"You are very troubled for one that has come to this place."

Jack jumped, almost falling into the lake. A strong hand grabbed his robe, hauling him away from the edge. He turned around to thank the man that saved him a dunking, and froze.

The man was a woman.

"Wow you're…strong."

She smiled, folding her hands in front of her. "Elves are much stronger than humans, Colonel O'Neill."

"Guess so." He rubbed the back of his head. "Well, you know my name…"

The woman nodded, her dark hair tumbling over her shoulders. "I am Arwen, daughter of Elrond. I wished to meet each of you at the evening meal, but it appears that will happen sooner than expected." She reached out, touching the scar over his eye. "You have led a hard life."

Not knowing whether to back up and risk getting dunked or let her touch him he stayed still. "Yeah, smart mouth and all that, gets me more trouble than it's worth." He paused. "I remember. Elrond said you needed help with a hobbit. What is a hobbit anyway?"

Arwen raised an eyebrow. " Hobbits are something that can only be experienced. You will meet several of them at the evening meal. I will give you a word of warning, however: watch your plate."

"Watch my plate?"

She nodded, "Or you may find that what you have chosen to eat has been taken by another. It is their way."

Jack sighed. Great. After twenty years he was going to be back in boot camp.

She smiled again, looking over the water. "Do you like our home?"

Jack nodded, looking around. "Yeah. Actually I was wondering how long we'd be allowed to stay, freeloading and all."

Arwen's brows dropped. "Freeloading? I am not familiar with this term, but if the question is how long you can remain in Rivendell, then you may do so until Gandalf and my father can find a way to send you home."

Jack sighed. "And if they can't?"

"Then you would be allowed to seek out others of your kind, or remain here as long as you wish."

The colonel looked around him, listening as what he assumed were crickets chirped in the cool night air, the rustling of the leaves in the trees. If he couldn't get home, why would he leave here?

Before he could think about it any further, he felt a hand on his arm. "Come, the evening meal with start soon."

* * *

"I'm afraid I will need more time to understand what you are explaining, Samantha."

"Don't worry, Lord Elrond. Most people do when I start rambling about subspace fields and dimensional shifts."

The two were sitting in a library, watching the sunset from what looked to be the highest room in Rivendell. "Why do you live here? I mean, from what you tell me, most of your people live somewhere else."

" I built Rivendell has a refuge from the raids of Sauron, and it became my home." Elrond's eyes darkened with memory. "On occasion I will travel back to Lorien, but my heart dwells here."

The sun finally slipped behind the mountain ridges and a small globe on Elrond's desk began to glow, as well as several that were lined along the walls, casting the room in blue light. "Wow." Sam reached for the globe, stopping with her hand hovering over it. "May I?"

"Certainly."

Sam handled the globe carefully. It was light, almost seeming to float above her hands. The illumination it gave was weak, but grew steadily in the gathering dark. There was no heat or any other indication of what it was made of, and she turned it over several times before looking at Elrond. "This is amazing. What kind of energy source does it have?"

Elrond smiled. "It is a firefly. The globes respond to the need of those around them. If we were to leave, they would stop making light until someone entered. If you awaken, they will glow slightly to allow you to adjust."

"Magic?"

Elrond nodded. "Of a sort, Samantha. The power of my people has allowed us to make this place, and sustain it as the world outside our home falls to ruin."

She gently set the globe down and did a double take as it settled on the desk before moving upward. It _did_ float. "I could probably explain how it works if I was in a lab with enough equipment, but magic?"

Elrond seemed to deflate slightly, turning his eyes to the outdoors, where she could see several other, larger globes were casting their light in the gardens. "It seems a sad world in which such things do not exist, nor elves nor any other creatures save for your own. Are you sure you wish to return?"

Sam opened her mouth, ready to argue. Of course she wanted to go home. She had a life there, a career that was more satisfying than anything she had ever imagined. She made a difference.

She closed her mouth before the words were spoken, eyes focusing on the globe that floated serenely over the wood.

"Lord Elrond?"

Sam started, turning towards the elf standing in the doorway, "The evening meal is ready."

Elrond nodded, "Thank you, Elohir." He extended his hand. " Please, Samantha. Such heavy thought is best saved for another time."

* * *

Jack looked around as they entered the dining hall, and it was a _hall._ There were dozens of people walking around, holding glasses and chatting about almost everything. All wore robes, including Glorfindel, he noted. There was a single large table laden with food, and his mouth watered at the smell of roasted meat and freshly baked bread.

"You approve," Arwen said at his side.

Jack smiled, "Oh, yeah."

Suddenly, a man detached himself from the crowd of elves. He wasn't like any of the elves, who were clean shaven, and he wore a shirt and pants instead of flowing robes. "Colonel O'Neill, I am Strider."

Jack extended his hand, smiling internally when the man took his wrist. Danny had once described it as a 'Roman handshake' on some mission or other. "Pleased to meet you."

The man, Strider, flicked his eyes to Arwen. "It appears you have captured the Lady Arwen before any others."

Jack could _feel_ her smiling. "You speak as if you would need to capture me."

_Oh yeah, definite sparkage there._

She turned to Jack. "Would it be remiss of me to leave you now?"

"Oh, no. No sense in being stuck with an old man all night."

Strider laughed, "I'm afraid we are both older than you, Colonel O'Neill."

"Please, call me Jack." He said automatically, then stopped, eyeing the man's dark hair and rugged appearance,. " Okay, Arwen I can understand, but you?"

Strider laughed, "My people are descended from the elves. I am well over eighty human years."

"And here years are?"

"Twelve months, which consist of 30 days."

Great, he was the oldest looking person here, with the exception of Gandalf, and he was ironically enough one of the youngest. "Hope I look as good as you do at eighty."

Strider nodded. "As do I."

Before he could say anything else, a heavy weight settled on his back. He turned and found Daniel and Gandalf, though Danny was looking light on his feet.

A little _too_ light.

He also smelled…sweet.

"Excuse me," he said, turning to the wizard and archeologist. "What have you gotten yourself into now, Danny?"

The younger man smiled. "I think I found the Middle Earth equivalent of marijuana." He giggled, then hiccupped.

Jack turned to Gandalf, who shrugged. "This effect will soon pass. If I had known the weed would hit him this hard, I would not have allowed him to smoke so much."

"Great." Jack sighed. "Come on, Daniel. Sit down before you fall down."

"You gotta try this stuff, Jack," the archeologist said as Jack led him to a chair.

"Not tonight." Well, maybe later, but he wasn't about to tell Daniel that.

When his friend was safely seated Jack kneeled in front of him. "Don't suppose this can go under cultural misunderstanding?"

Before he could comment further Daniel seemed to sober right in front of him, losing the slightly glazed look.

"Hi Jack."

Jack turned to the wizard. "Is this normal?"

Gandalf nodded. "Once the weed is in the system, he will not react so…violently… again."

Daniel was watching the two calmly. "You should try it Jack, it's very relaxing."

Jack chuckled. "Come on, I think I see Teal'c and Carter sitting down already."

The three made their way to the middle of the table, Jack and Daniel stopping dead in their tracks. Teal'c was currently the center of attention for three children- while Sam watched and tried not to laugh from the look of it- who were doing everything from feeling his robes to asking him questions at the same time. And surprisingly enough, the jaffa was allowing this with his usual calm.

"It appears your friend has found the hobbits, or they have found him."

Both Daniel and Jack perked up at that. So these were the hobbits. "But, they're kids."

Gandalf smiled. "They are full grown men among their people. In fact, Daniel, they may be older than you. Pippin is almost twenty-nine."

At the sound of his name one of the curly heads looked up, eyes finding Gandalf immediately. "Gandalf! Ye didn' tell us there were more Big People here!" he called before climbing over another hobbit and starting forward. "I'm Peregrine Took. My friends call me Pippin, or Pip."

Jack shook his hand. "I'm Jack O'Neill."

As soon as the words were spoken the hobbit moved to Daniel, and another one took his place. "Samwise Gamgee, Sir. Most call me Sam."

"Nice ta meet ya."

"Meriadoc Brandybuck. Merry to my friends."

Jack looked at Daniel, who was trying to get his glasses back from Pip. This was going to be an interesting evening.

* * *

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU so much for reading this! Special thanks to Amelia, PhBee, J, Falan, Celeste, Frances Holland, Daughter of Bast, organized chaos, otsi, and Nala, for the reviews! They really help keep my Muse around!.

Please leave a donation in the review box on the way out. All reviews are placed on a shrine near my desk for moral support. Flames will be eaten with soy sauce and rum.


	6. The Morning After

Jack sighed as he closed the door behind him. Safe at last. For two hours he'd been up to his neck, literally, in hobbits. Hobbits trying to get inside his clothes. Hobbits asking him questions that he couldn't answer with enough speed. Hobbits trying to relieve him of almost everything he put on his plate.

It was the last one that got him.

"Peace and quiet," he whispered to his room, walking to the large bed and falling on it face first. Without the hobbits it was almost paradise.

"O'Neill?"

Jack sighed, turning his head to look at a bemused Teal'c, who was standing just inside the room. "Yeah, Teal'c?"

"Pip and Merry were concerned when you left the fire room early. I came to assure them that you were still well."

Jack's eyes searched around the jaffa's knees, releasing his breath when he saw no small shapes hovering there. A vivid image of being kept up half the night by the childlike creatures made him shudder. It wasn't that he didn't like them, he just didn't have…patience. "You going back there, big guy?"

Teal'c nodded. "I find the stories and songs of the elves most interesting."

Jack waved a hand. "Then by all means, have fun. I'll see you tomorrow."

Teal'c nodded solemnly, closing the door quietly behind him. Jack sighed again, rolled over, and waited for the ceiling to right itself.

_Are you sure you wish to try this?_

Jack smiled at the elf who held a crystal pitcher over his glass with a concerned look. "Yeah. Everyone else is raving about it."

"Jessalla, please. Our guest wishes to imbibe, then by all means."

Had Jack been looking he would have seen the slight smirk on Elrond's face, a smirk that was echoed in Gandalf. The other elves just watched with interest as he picked up his goblet, sniffing the ruby liquid. Raspberries, he thought, probably just some kind of elvish juice.

He would have spit out the first mouthful if he'd had a modicum less respect for his hosts.

"Jesus, what's in that stuff?" The colonel grated out when he finally swallowed the burning liquid. Listerine could make a fortune of it. He was sure nothing was left living in his mouth, or anywhere else the ruby liquid touched.

"It is _quilafara_, fire wine," Elrond said calmly, taking a slow swallow of his own. "This year was exceptionally good."

Jack eyes his goblet. "How old is this?"

Gandalf's eyes sparkled, "It was put down when Elrond was still considered a young man," the wizard answered.

Jack looked between the two before bracing himself for another swallow. Good, this one didn't burn as much. "Very nice," he wheezed.

" You gonna be able to taste anything, Jack?" Daniel asked.

Jack smiled, his stomach making a demand that he put something in it. Soon. "Oh yeah." Then proceeded to load his plate with everything he could see. Crusty bread, still warm from the oven. Roasted game and fowl, fruits, cheese, and some things he couldn't readily identify but were still wonderful went on his plate, and battled to stay there as the hobbits decided they wanted to taste everything he touched.

"I have heard of the _quilfara_ aiding ones appetite, but not to this extent," Strider said, shaking his head as Jessala came round to him. "Do your people have nothing similar in their lands?"

Jack looked at his plate, idly slapping a small hand wrapped around a hunk of cheese. Maybe he should let the hobbits take some off it, just to keep the china from cracking. "Um, not really." Jack answered. "Unless you count moonshine."

Jack left the explanation to Daniel has he launched back into his food. The more he drank the less it burned, until he could taste the subtle mix of berries and flowers. He'd have to ask for the recipe before they went home.

The rest of the meal went by without a hitch, until he tried to stand up and found his legs refusing to take orders. Okay, he thought as he tried a second time to stand, this was definitely the last time he drank _anything_ while on a mission.

Like he hadn't said that before.

While the others were lead to the fire room he made his way, very carefully, back to his room, praying that he wouldn't get a hangover in the morning.

* * *

Daniel sighed at the sunlight flowing across his bed. Morning already. For a moment he almost pulled the sheets over his head, until something caught his attention. There was a pile of clothes on the couch across from the bed. Two neatly folded piles to be exact. As he examined them he found one containing a number of robes similar to the one he'd worn the day before, plus a number of large shirts in complimenting colors.

"Well, guess we can't wear the same thing twice," he muttered.

There were other changes as well. The marble-like washbasin was filled with hot water, a cake of what he assumed was soap sitting next to it. A covered tray and carafe sat on the table. He hadn't heard anyone come in, but after last night the Sousa marching band could have come through his room and he doubted he would have noticed.

After washing, eating, and dressing, Daniel began to wander around Rivendell, running a delicate hand over the intricate designs while he sketched them on one of his notepads. He wondered how the elves managed to keep deer from running through the ground floor, or raccoons, for that matter. Everything was in order, without a hint of animal disturbance. Neat, clean, with nothing out of place, or even looking like it could be out of place, it fit together so well.

He passed several elves and tried not to be overt in his study of them. In human myth elves were small, mischievous, forest dwelling creatures that shunned buildings, preferring to live in trees and other plants. The ears had also been exaggerated, until they were huge, sticking up clearly, unable to be hidden. Several had them as four fingered beings with overly large eyes, similar to the "gray" aliens. "Asgard," he reminded himself.

But these elves were different. Tall, graceful, with five fingers and easily hidden ears, they were nothing like the myths that survived on Earth. Was it possible what Gandalf said? That perhaps the elves on Earth had managed to hide themselves humans? It made sense, in a strange way. Perhaps they were even the origin of the typical elf story, a type of subterfuge to keep them hidden in plain sight.

The sound of feet slapping sharply on the floor broke his musings, and he turned to see a tall elf hurrying down the hall carrying a steaming basin. He followed him until they came to a quiet corner of the house.

"His fever has risen again. The poison is spreading once more."

Elrond, Arwen, and Gandalf were gathered around a bed, and he could barely make out the curly hair of who he assumed was Frodo, the hobbit who had his friends so worried at dinner.

"This should not be happening, Gandalf," Elrond said, placing a hand on Frodo's forehead.

The wizard nodded. "The ring is no doubt keeping our healing from taking root. He must be watched. Another relapse might kill him." He looked up. "Daniel?"

The archeologist froze. "Hi." He said, moving forward. "I didn't mean to intrude…"

"Nonsense, we need another pair of hands. Here." A damp cloth was pressed into his hand. "Hold this against the wound."

Daniel flinched as a bandage was removed. The wound was small, but red, with black lines extending from it over what he could see of the torso. He knew enough about first aid to know that it appeared to be some type of blood poisoning. Frodo's eyes were open, opaque, and for a moment he wondered if the hobbit was blind. Taking a breath, he placed the warm cloth over the wound.

The gasping scream almost made him take it away.

"No, Daniel," Arwen said, sitting next to him and taking one of Frodo's hands. "The wound must be cleaned."

"_Un Hiam galad_," Elrond intoned, his hand still on Frodo's head.

Daniel's eyes widened. The elf seemed to glow in the morning light, the room brightening around them as his words being were by Gandalf, then by Arwen. A feeling washed over him, of contentment, peace and comfort. It was like nothing he had ever seen or felt before.

* * *

Jack opened one eye, fully prepared to snap it shut at the first sign of pain. Thankfully, there wasn't one.

"Yes. I love elves," he sad to the room. Yep, he was definitely getting the recipe.

"Jack! JACK! You won't believe what I just saw!"

Daniel came barreling into the room, practically glowing and out of breath. He must have found some ruins that they were going to let him study. "What is it Danny?" he asked as he rolled out of bed.

"They just… I mean, Gandalf, Arwen and Elrond, they just healed Frodo!"

Jack eyed the archeologist. "Yeah?"

"Yes. It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen, or felt. There was no evidence of technology of any kind. Just words! This is the most incredible find. We've hit a goldmine. Just think of what this could do for medicine, history."

Jack sighed, "Daniel, two things. 1) You're talking about two elves, creatures who aren't even supposed to exist, and a wizard healing a hobbit. 2) what makes you think we're even going to get home?"

Daniel paused, "You've thought about it too?"

Jack sighed, "Yes, Daniel. I think we all have, and all of us have come to the same conclusion. Unless a stargate drops out of the sky, we're stuck here." He looked out the window

"But, what about the Goa'uld, Earth? What happens to them if we're stuck here?"

"If we're stuck here, it isn't exactly are problem anymore, is it?" Jack froze the minute the words were out of his mouth. Daniel was watching him warily. Of all the stupid things to say. "Listen, I'm just saying. We can't do anything from here, and if it was a malfunction or something that sent us here how do we even know what it was to try and reverse it to send us back?"

"Any news from SG1?"  
Sgt. Siller shook his head. "SG8 just checked in from recon of PJH-980. There's no sign that SG1 ever arrived at the planet. No signs of a struggle, nothing."

General Hammond sighed. Nearly seventy two hours had passed, and still no sign of his flagship team.

They were still trying to piece together what happened. Halfway between Earth and the target planet the wormhole began to collapse, at least, that's what the techs said. Something about the subspace field degrading.

All he knew was that his team was lost somewhere, and he'd be damned if he left them out in space to rot.

* * *

THANK YOU SO MUCH! Thanks for reading my drivel! Special thanks goes to darkstranger380, nomuse, Harriet, Frances Holland, otsi., dietcokechic, organized-chaos, J, Brianne, Cheysuli, and PHBee for the great reviews!

OH yeah, Harriet, I'm going on the basis that the books weren't written in the SG1 Universe, which is why no one has any idea of whats going on.

For those of you waiting for the rest of the fellowship to show up, watch for the next chapter. This is turning out to be a really LLLOOOONNNNGGGG story. I'm sorry, but that's how it goes. Hope you stick around for it though J


	7. Ice Cream

"How fair our guests?"

Elrond looked up, smiling at Gandalf. "They appear to be settling in finally." He sent a pointed glance down to one of the many terraces, where Daniel was talking to a small group of elven children.

Gandalf smiled. "He is an avid student. Were he younger, I would take him as an apprentice."

Elrond raised a brow, "The Pilgrim finally settle in one spot? I never thought I would hear you say such a thing."

"Travel is weary, even for one of my kind." The wizard answered, moving away from the balcony. "And what of the others?"

"Jonathan is becoming interested in our music, while Samantha is attempting to puzzle out the causes of magic."

"And Teal'c?"

Another smile lifted the elf's features. "A favorite among our hobbit guests. They find his gruff manner enchanting, as he no doubt finds them," he sighed. "I do hear them speak of their home, but they have done so less and less as time goes on."

Gandalf nodded. "There is still no sign of the _restinna_?"

"Not so much as a whisper."

The wizard took a long draw off his pipe. "They may have to remain here, then. Will you take responsibility for them?"

"They may be of some use in the dark days ahead, if what is coming to pass is what we fear. They have fearsome weapons."

Gandalf nodded in agreement. Days ago the elf and wizard asked for a demonstration of the weapons they carried. What they saw went beyond their wildest fears. Both wondered at the world their guests came from, in which such fearsome weapons were needed. And if what Daniel and Jack told them was true, there were even more fearsome and destructive ones waiting to be used.

The sound of laughter drew their attention, and the two looked down again to where Jack, having found the small group, was carrying one of the children on his back.

"They come during a dark time, my friend." Elrond turned away, walking further into the house. "I fear they will be drawn into the rising conflict, whether they wish to be or not."

* * *

"Seriously?"

Jack frowned as the ring of children nodded solemnly. "You've never had ice cream before?"

The dark and light heads nodded again, and Jack sighed loudly. "Okay! That's it! Everybody follow me!"

Daniel smiled as the children began following the colonel, heading in the general direction of the kitchens. They passed elves that looked on with amusement as the small entourage made their way across Rivendell.

The kitchens were a large, single storied area, the designs and attention to detail just as intricate as those in the main house. There were several rooms connected by large archways, and was completely open to the outdoors. Huge ovens sat against one wall, lined up floor to ceiling. The center of the room was dominated by several long tables, currently loaded down with the makings of lunch. The staff moved efficiently, weaving around each other with the ease of long practice.

"Who's in charge, Danny?" Jack whispered, looking among the faces.

"Her."

Jack followed Daniel's gaze, settling on a large, blond woman talking to several of the staff. She was taller than everyone in the room by at least an inch, which meant she towered over the two humans.

Daniel snickered as he watched Jack put on his game face. This was going to be interesting. "Her name is Brialaw."

"Right." Jack smiled as he walked towards the elf, remembering to be polite. Not that he wouldn't be, he just needed the reminder. "Brialaw?"

He started when she looked up. Her eyes were gold. Not light brown, but a solid, piercing, gold. "Is there something you wanted Jeanathan?"

He cleared his throat. "Yeah, there is. I was wondering if I could get some ingredients and a place to work in here from you. Preferably somewhere cool."

The tall elf looked at him, then beyond him to where Daniel and the children were standing. "What do you wish to do?"

"I was kinda hopin' to teach the kids how to make ice cream. It's a kind of frozen cream dish, very good."

She nodded. "If you will follow me, I'm sure I can get you everything you need."

Jack waved, and the group moved towards him, following the elf into a small, almost secluded corner of the kitchens. It was cooler than the main rooms, and had a stairwell leading down to what he assumed was a basement.

"Okay, kids, you might wanna go back to your rooms and change into something a little more…disposable." When all he got were quizzical glances he looked to Brialaw. "Do you have any aprons they could borrow?"

At a word a young elf woman came into the room, bowing before heading back to find the aprons. "What else do you require?"

As Jack rattled off the list of things he wanted Daniel got an idea. "Jack, I'm gonna find Sam and Teal'c."

The slow smile that spread over the colonel's face was all the answer he needed. Finding Teal'c proved to be the easy part. All he had to do was follow the raucous laughter of the hobbits. The four were sitting in the Fire Hall, Merry and Pip deep in telling some tale.

"Daniel Jackson." Teal'c called. "Would you care to join us?"

"Yes, please, Mr. Daniel," Sam said, standing and walking to the archeologist. "It's almost Mr. Teal'c's turn to tell a tale."

Daniel shook his head. "Maybe tonight. I have something that might be a little more fun. How would you like to learn to make ice cream?"

The sight that greeted Elrond as he walked into the kitchen was one of utter chaos. Apparently, his guests had sequestered themselves in one of the smaller rooms, almost forbidding any adult to come in. In truth, he wouldn't be here if Brialaw hadn't found him and Gandalf in the gardens, almost choking with laughter, and asked them to look in on their guests.

The two smiled at the upturned sleeves on the elven children as several were mixing something with their hands, giggling as red and purple fingers grasped for noses and ears, while Sam, just as red, laughed. They watched as several walked to a back wall, and heard the distinct sounds of something being poured into containers. Another group, lead by Teal'c, were walking into the lower caves, emerging moments later with bowls full of ice. Two more groups were against a wall; churning something in what were once overly large butter churns. The hobbits were helping, and everyone's faces were just as red and purple as their hands.

"I think we've discovered what has Brialaw almost in tears."

"We certainly have." As they watched an elf squealed as another managed to get some of the red substance on her ears.

"Hey, that's not how you do this!" Jack called, walking away from one of the churns.

Before anyone could move the perpetrators blond hair was turned a light pink as a handful of whatever was left in a bowl was smacked onto his head. "THIS is how you do it!"

Silence reigned in the room for only a moment, before a full-scale food fight was in progress. Sam and Teal'c took over the forgotten churns, laughing as the children ganged up on Jack, Daniel, and the three hobbits until the five were covered from head to foot in cream and fruit.

Sam spotted the wizard and the elf first, grabbing Pip mid-throw and turning him roughly. A quick tap alerted Merry, and it was their lack of participation that clued in Jack.

"Having fun?"

The loud words echoed through the kitchen, making everyone freeze.

Gandalf was the first to walk gingerly into the room, "And what, might I ask, are you doing?"  
"Making ice cream?" Jack answered, wiping a small peach piece off his forehead.

Daniel stepped in at Elrond's raised eyebrow. "Actually, the finished product is in those four containers." He pointed to the churns. "It still has a few hours until it'll be ready."

Elrond nodded. "And what do you do with this ice cream?"

"Um, you eat it, sir." Sam piped in, her arms busy turning two churns.

A loud guffaw broke the silence as Gandalf finally exploded; laughing harder than Elrond had seen him do in ages. "And here I thought hobbits were trouble. I see we're going to have to watch you more carefully." With that he walked out, Elrond following with shaking shoulders.

Jack turned around, looking around the room. Guilt tore at him for a moment. He was sure they'd never be able to get the stains out. "I guess that means we should clean up." He looked to the churns. "We can keep those in the caves; we'll just need three people to keep turning them."

"Me!"

" Me!"

" I would be more than happy to assist, O'Neill."

He scowled at his friends. That's right, leave him with the cleanup duty. "Okay, kids. We have a lotta work to do. Let's start with getting all the bowls in once place."

Two hours later Jack breathed a sigh of relief. The last time he had to do a clean up job like this was after his abortive French cuisine fiasco. He was sure they managed to scrap off, wipe up, and eradicate every bit of cream, sugar, spices, and ice that managed to find its way out of the mixing bowls. Now they just needed to get clean.

"Done already?"

He turned to find Teal'c, Daniel, and Sam standing on the stairs, looking innocently at the sparkling kitchen. "Yeah. Everything all right down there?"

Daniel nodded, rubbing his shoulder. "Just needs to sit for an hour or so. We still have the whole afternoon before dinner."

Speaking of which. "Is there a place we can clean up all this?" Jack asked, sheepishly looking down at his once immaculate robes.

The group moved out of the kitchen, following a winding path through the gardens to a large, round structure almost completely separate from the house.

"Danny?"

The steam that hit them on entering left little doubt in his mind. "This is a bath house, Jack."

Without speaking, the girls dragged Sam away, leading her to another part of the large bathhouse, as they were lead further into it in the opposite direction.

"Okay, this is weird." Jack said as the boys began undressing, tossing their clothes into a basket. He turned and found Daniel and Teal'c doing the same.

"Come on, Jack. It's no different than showering on base."

Jack grumbled but complied, following the train of people until they came to a large room, almost filled with steam. There were three pools, and he followed them to one that disappeared beneath an outer wall.

The men and elves scrubbed down quickly, and Jack wondered if his hair would ever lose the purple tinge he was sure it had. A food fight was the last thing on his mind when he'd suggested making ice cream.

The hobbits were the first ones out, washing quickly and almost running out of the bathhouses, wearing little more than drying towels and grins. One by one, the elves climbed out after bathing and rinsing in what could only be described as an indoor waterfall, before picking up the squares of white cloth, which were piled along the walls. After drying off they pulled them over their heads, tying the loose material at the waist. The cloths had holes in their centers, forming makeshift robes for the young elves as they padded out.

"You can stay as long as you want," Serin said before he left. "The other two pools are for relaxation."

"Thanks." Jack said, climbing out of one pool and scrambling into another. He settled into the warmer water with a sigh

"Jack?"

"I can't believe this. All my life, I've been looking for paradise, and right when I decide I'm never gonna find it, it drops right into my lap. Literally."

"That is often the way of things."

"Holy…" Jack looked around. "Did you hear that?"

A movement across from him drew his attention. "I did not mean to startle you. I am Legolas of Mirkwood."

Jack watched the figure as it separated itself from the steam. _Damn_ He thought_. Is there at least one ugly elf in the whole place?_ "I haven't seen you around Rivendell."

The blond elf smiled. "No. I have only just arrived. Lord Elrond gave me leave to use the bathing rooms to wash away the dust of travel."

"Jack O'Neill. Most of the elves call me Jonathan." He extended his hand.

"Then you are the guests that Elrond spoke of." He clasped Jack's wrist, looking up as the other two entered the pool.

"I'm Daniel."

"And I am Teal'c."

Legolas nodded to them in turn. "It is an honor to meet friends of Lord Elrond and Gandalf. I'm afraid I have tarried here long enough, though I'm sure we will meet again tonight."

"Count on it," Jack said, watching as the elf swam to the other side of the pool and nimbly climbed out, completely unselfconscious. _You wouldn't be either, with a body like that Jack,_ he said to himself, sinking into the warm water. He wasn't a slouch when it came to working out, but gravity eventually won.

* * *

Daniel had never been so red in his life.

News of the ice cream making had spread throughout Rivendell, and now all the elves wanted to know exactly what ice cream was, and when they would be able to taste it. Whoever said elves were mischievous was making an understatement. The moment Yalan found she could make him blush she did so at every opportunity, and had apparently shared the knowledge with several of her friends. He was sure his hair was smoking his ears were so hot.

To make things worse, there were more people there than there had been all week. He'd almost swallowed his tongue when Gandalf introduced him to a dwarf. A DWARF! A real live, mining, axe wielding dwarf named Gloin, together with his son Gimli and Gloin's advisors. He was glad the wizard had chosen to give them what seemed to be this world's common tongue, or else he wouldn't have been able to understand a word they were saying.

There was also another human there now. Boromir of Gondor, whose eyes held a quiet fascination as they roved over the designs of Rivendell. As well as Legolas and several other elves. Elrond told him that others would arrive as well over the next few days, and the thought made him uneasy. He knew a meeting of the joint chiefs when he saw one.

"You are worried, Daniel?"  
Daniel turned. "I suppose I am. Why are so many people arriving from all over this land, Legolas?"

The elf looked at Elrond, who was standing across the dining hall. "Grave things are happening in Middle Earth. Things that require the participation of all who would live here, no matter the distance of their lands. Though I'm afraid I carried news graver than Lord Elrond would have wished."

Before Daniel could ask he was swept away by the dwarves, who wanted to learn everything he could tell them about naquadah and every other mineral he knew about. Beseeching looks to Sam and Teal'c went unanswered, and it was finally Gandalf who rescued him.

"You looked like a deer caught in a thunderstorm, Daniel." The wizard laughed as they sat down and prepared to eat.

"Felt like one, too."

Daniel laughed when Jack heartily drank his _quilfara_, wondering what the colonel was pushing at. His disappearance a week ago hadn't been missed, and here he was, back at square one. He sighed, wondering when he could slip away and present the ice cream.

"You really should eat, Frodo."

The concerned tones drew his attention further down the table, where the hobbits were gathered between Gandalf and Teal'c. Frodo was up today, an improvement from his status the past week. The dark haired hobbit smiled at Pip before taking a small drink of what Daniel assumed was water. Anything else and Gandalf would probably pitch a fit.

"I'm just not very hungry." He said quietly, his small voice almost lost in the talking around him. Bilbo was almost beside himself, looking like he was lost on what to do with his nephew. Daniel sighed in sympathy. He knew that feeling very well, usually after being brought back from the dead or something else just as strenuous, like explaining a joke to Teal'c. In those situations it was usually Jack looking like he needed assistance, and fast.

"Pipin is right, Frodo. You cannot hope to regain your strength if you do not give yourself nourishment."

Uh-oh. Daniel knew that tone. It was the same tone of you're-going-to-eat-if- I have-to-sit-on-you-but-it-really-is-for-your-own-good that Teal'c took with him when he skipped meals or refused to eat the food in the infirmary. No amount of wheedling, crying, or outright screaming could dissuade the jaffa when he was in mothering mode.

The archeologist let out a breath when Frodo picked up a piece of cheese and began nibbling on it. It wouldn't do to frighten the elves away from Teal'c.

"Teal'c has a way with hobbits, I see." Gandalf noted, watching the exchange.

Daniel smiled, "He just has a way of frightening people."

* * *

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for reading my fic!!!!!!! Special thanks goes to Frances Holland, Jade, Airlia de Lioncourt, Celeste Seafairer, Cheysuli, shanna, Harriet, J, BRUMMIE-BABE, and PHBee for the reviews!!!!!

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	8. Why Does this Always Happen to Us?

"I still dont get why we have to be at this meeting."

Sam sighed. That had to be the third time the colonel made his thoughts known on the subject in about as many minutes. "Elrond said what happens at the meeting will have bearing on whether or not we go home, sir."

Jack fingered his navy robes. They were all wearing the same color today (something he was sure was no accident), waiting for the others to show up. Elrond was talking to his sons while Gandalf was comforting Frodo, who looked like a ghost. He hated seeing the kid look like that. Merry, Pip, and Sam assured him that Frodo had only become so grave after becoming the 'Ringbearer', whatever that meant. "He couldn't just tell us this sometime after the council?"

"Calm down, Jack. He probably just wants us here so he doesn't have to repeat himself," Daniel said from his place next to Teal'c. From what he'd been told, this form of meeting hadn't occurred in Middle Earth for at least a thousand years. "Whatever has people coming from all over Middle Earth had to be important."

Jack slumped down in his chair. Last night had been great. The ice cream was in high demand, especially the peach and 'choke berry', which looked suspiciously like blueberries. Then this morning they got their invitation to this council. He sighed, sinking further into the cushioned seat. This was going to be a great day, he just knew it.

"Are you sure that stuff didn't give you a hangover?"

Jack glared at the archeologist, silently willing him to burst into flame. "Yeah, Danny, I'm sure. Why?"

"Just checking."

* * *

"I knew there was a catch, there's always a catch." 

Gandalf and Elrond watched as Jack paced back and forth, a state he'd been in since discovering what they wished of him.

"You should calm yourself, Jeanathan," the elf said, a slight entreaty in his voice. "This is the best way to ensure that all of you reach your destinations."

Jack turned around. "You're telling me that we have to travel into Mordor, which from what I've heard is equivalent to my peoples Hell, to find something that might or might not be there, and you think I should calm myself? No offense, but we've been to Hell, and none of us would like to go back."

Daniel stood up before Jack buried himself any deeper. "We were not counting on having to travel so far, Elrond. The gate should be here, not thousands of miles away."

Elrond nodded. "I understand your arguments, Daniel. But this is the only way we can think of. The only ones we believed could help you were the elves of Lorien, and they have named Mordor as the holding place for the _restinna_. We can spare no one here to guide you, but the Walkers are heading in that direction. It is only logical that you accompany them."

"With our weapons, of course," Jack muttered, running a hand through his hair. When Elrond first mentioned destroying the ring he'd suggested just blowing it up. They had ten claymores, they could spare one. It wasn't until the smoke cleared and the ring was sitting happily in the crater instead of being in glittering shards that what the elf had been saying really started to sink in. If a mine couldn't put a dint in the thing going to Mordor was the only other choice. Right when he was starting to feel like this place was home, they had to leave.

"Unless of course, you have decided to stay here," Elrond said into the silence. "In which case we would be more than happy to have you."

'While the rest of them go off to places and dangers unknown,' the statement hung in the air, and Jack felt a grudging respect for Elrond. The guy knew how to lay it on you. "They leave at dusk, right?"

Gandalf nodded. "We leave with the setting sun, Jack."

"Good. Think you could give us our gear back? I don't know about you, but these robes wont last long on the open road."

Elrond released the breath he'd been holding as the four walked out of the room. Convincing them to travel with Frodo had been easier than he'd thought. "I don't like manipulating them, Gandalf."

The wizard nodded gravely. "Nor do I, old friend, but we have no choice. They wish to go home, and Galadriel and Celeborn have spoken true of the_ restinna's_ whereabouts. In the meantime, their weapons will help assure that we reach our destination."

"And if the ring claims one of them?"

"Then Elsbereth save us," Gandalf muttered.

* * *

Lunch was slightly solemn. The representatives were quiet, watching the fellowship and their four man attaché with guarded looks. The hobbits were the only ones who didn't seem fazed by the fact that they were walking towards this world's equivalent of hell. Jack was suffering from pre-mission anxiety, something he'd sworn he'd gotten rid of years ago. Their gear was waiting to be checked, cleaned, and loaded. Everything seemed to be in order. 

Now all he had to do was find the will to leave.

"You have strange tools, Colonel."

Jack looked up from where he was cleaning his P-90. The redhead, Boromir, was looking out over the valley. "It serves its purpose," he said, knocking the sight into place. The sun was near setting, and everyone was up and about. They had checked and rechecked their gear, making sure everything was in working order. Three P-90's and four small side-arms with about five clips each, four zats, one staff weapon, ten claymores, and about two week's worth of MRE's.

Now they were just waiting.

"Aragorn says your weapons are very advanced."

_Is this guy digging or what?_ "Yeah, they are, but only as long as we have ammunition, after that they're just a lot of weight to carry around." He slapped a clip in, put the safety on, and shouldered the weapon. "They do come in handy when they work, though." He gave Boromir a once over. No body armor like Gimli, but heavy, durable leather gauntlets and wrist guards and light mail. His gear was nice, but well worn. He wasn't a momma's boy playing soldier, which was a good thing in Jack's book.

Boromir nodded. "Then they are most welcome on this journey. We will no doubt have need of them before it is over."

"Sir?"

Jack turned around. It was good to see Carter in fatigues, geared up and ready to go. Felt good to be it too. Rivendell had been a great break, but now he was itchy, needed action.

"My Lady, I did not know you would be traveling with us."

Jack smiled. A woman warrior always threw the big macho ones for a loop. "She's dangerous, Boromir. Don't let that cute exterior fool you."

The man blushed, turning to fiddle with his packs.

Carter came to stand in front of O'Neill. "Daniel's almost ready, Teal'c's finishing Keel-no-reem, and everyone else should be here soon, sir."

"Good." Jack resisted the urge to call Daniel on his radio. No need to frighten the locals just yet. "Looks like the hobbits are up and about."

Correction. They were up, but definitely not about. Almost all of them, with the exception of Pip, were dragging their large feet, looking more asleep than awake. "Didn't Gandalf make them take a nap or something?"

"That seldom means they will, Colonel O'Neill," the wizard said from behind him. Jack resisted the urge to jump. The old man had been doing it almost all week, and if he didn't know any better, Jack would say the old geezer enjoyed making him jump. "Like all children, Hobbits often do not do what they're told."

That gave Jack pause. Sounded suspiciously like what what'shisname of the Nox told him, just before practically booting them through the stargate. "Are you sure you've never been to another planet? One with these people who could make themselves and anything else disappear? Call themselves the Nox?"

Gandalf shook his head, his large gray hat almost flying off. "I have been many places, but all are in Middle Earth, and I have never heard of these 'Nox'."

Jack shrugged. "It was worth a shot."

Another fifteen minutes and they were giving good-byes. He hated good-byes. They made you wonder if you were really coming back. The elves had been nice, one or two even kissed him, drawing snickers from Daniel and Carter and 'raised eye-brow # 17' from Teal'c. The 'is there something we should know' eyebrow that always made him feel guilty.

Damn it. He hated good-byes.

* * *

Daniel watched Bill's tail as they made their way through the thick forest. Walking out of Rivendell was like walking out of a dream. He knew, almost instantly, the moment they passed its borders into the wild. The sense of safety, of security, was gone, replaced by the average sounds of the night. 

"Are you well, Daniel?"

Daniel looked up, meeting Legolas's concerned eyes. "Yeah, I'm just a little awed. I didn't realize Rivendell had been...felt... like home."

The elf nodded. "Most who enter the house of Elrond do not wish to leave, and seldom are ever forced to do so. The sense of unease will pass soon."

Daniel nodded, turning around to catch a last glimpse of the place they'd called home for almost two weeks, lights barely visible between the trees. If they found the stargate, they might never be able to come here again, and the thought made his heart ache. They had no address, no way to know how near or far the planet was from earth. A planet with wizards and ogres and elves that lived and breathed. There was no pollution that he could detect, nothing to obscure the moon as it climbed higher. They were hurrying to leave paradise.

"I too shall miss Rivendell," Teal'c said from his side, taking his own last look. "It is seldom that I have felt such peace pour from the very waters themselves."

"You should'n worry yerselves, ye know," Pip said, slapping both men as high on the back as he could reach. "Once all this is over, we'll come back fer a victory party!" with that he bounded ahead, falling into step with the other hobbits.

Daniel shook himself, and started forward again. As the night wore on he wondered why they weren't using horses, since he knew for a fact that almost everyone had ridden in on one. It certainly would have cut the travel time in half. Instead, they were trudging over a place that Gandalf called the Steeps, heading south-east towards the Misty Mountains.

He groaned in relief when they stopped, making a fast camp. It always surprised him how different other worlds were. They had been walking from sunset to dawn, and had yet to see another person, or even a building. On Earth, even when you were in a national forest, you could see a plane or helicopter; the same could be said for any world that had flying technology. This world could have passed for uninhabited.

"Tired?"

Jack's question broke through his thoughts, which consisted of getting his pack off as fast as humanly possible. Twenty pounds didn't seem like a lot, not at first. Not until you passed the first mile or two, then it just kept getting heavier and heavier. "I'm a civilian, Jack. We're not trained for this kind of thing."

"It seems the young one isn't much for traveling," Gimli laughed, setting his axe down.

Aragorn smiled. "You shall grow used to it, Daniel. The first and last days are the hardest."

"Don't let his whining fool you," Jack laughed, tossing Daniel his canteen. "He's probably had harder treks in the Andes. He's just trying to score sympathy points."

Daniel made a face before taking a long swallow as he listened to Jack explain what the Andes were. He'd had harder positions, but that was when he was still working on his doctorate years ago. True, running from the Goa'uld kept you in shape, but this was a long haul, not a short burst fueled mostly by fear and adrenaline. "I'll give you another day before your knees start calling it quits, Jack."

The colonel smiled. "Twenty bucks."

"Fifty, and dinner at O'Malleys."

"Deal."

"Do they always behave in this way?"

Sam turned to Legolas, who was watching the two men with barely contained amusement. "Usually. At least they aren't arguing. That can last for hours and not go anywhere."

The blond elf smiled. "I shall enjoy a demonstration of this."

"You'll get one soon. They can't go more than a day without arguing about something."

"I heard that, Carter!"

* * *

THANK YOU!!!! thanks so much for reading my drivel, and I apologize for taking so long getting this very short chapter out. I'm suffering from lack of computer, so I'll crank out chapters when I can, but its going to be touch and go for a few months. Please, leave a donation in the feedback box on your way out!!!!! 

Special thanks goes to Lady Cinnibar, Frances Holland, Harriet, brianne, Cheysuli, stormy, CelesteAmelia, organized-chaoLizzie, Mike, J, BRUMMIE-BABEKrissy, otsi, Obsidian (twice :)), Shanna, silverkeeper, and Falan for the great reviews!!!! Reading them fills me with unholy glee, so keep sending them!!!!

And Obsidian, they're speaking Sindarin, mostly because it was the best translation that I could find.


	9. Getting to know you

"May I?"  


Frodo looked up at Sam's gentle question. They were settling in for the night, and he couldn't have been happier. Traveling was well and good, but their pace was grueling. Aragorn and Gandalf were attempting to clear the Misty Mountains before the snows of winter set in. They were about to take a three week journey in just under one.  


"May you what, Samantha?" he asked, cocking his head.  


"I was wondering if I could examine the ring. If a Gou'uld really created this device, I might be able to tell what's in it."  


Frodo had stopped listening when the word 'examine' had passed her lips. "NO!" he shouted, clutching at the ring on its slender chain, then blushed as she jerked back her hand.   


"Frodo? Are you all right?" Suddenly Gandalf was standing next to him, and the solid presence of his friend decreased some of his panic. Sam was still staring at him, though, at it alarmed him.  


She wants it she wants it don't let her take it...  


Frodo shook his head, clearing the whispered words from his mind.   


"Everything all right, Carter?" Jack was standing behind the blond woman, one hand resting on his 'gun'.   


"Fine sir," she answered, finally looking away from him. Frodo released the breath he was holding. Gandalf wouldn't let her take it away from him. "I was just asking if I could examine the ring. I was going to check for naquadah, considering who made it."  


Gandalf spoke. "I'm afraid only Frodo may hold the ring, Samantha," the wizards words were kinder than the hobbit liked. She'd tried to take it! He should be blasting her with one of his spells, not consoling the woman! She'd tried to steal from him!  


Frodo shook his head again. Samantha steal? She'd asked him nicely, and he was acting like she'd tried to take it in the dead of the night.  


Samantha was not dissuaded. "I don't have to touch it, though physical contact does help. I just need to get a little closer than he might be used to."  


Frodo looked around, noticing for the first time that the eyes of the whole fellowship were on the three of them. He hadn't shouted that loud, had he? "It's all right, Gandalf. I just overreacted," he released the ring. "Go ahead."  


Samantha nodded and closed her eyes. He watched warily as she lifted a hand and held it suspended over his heart, the palm squarely over the ring. After a moment her hand dropped, and she shook her head. "I couldn't detect anything, sir," she said before turning concerned eyes on him. "Are you sure you're all right?"  


Frodo forced a smile. "Right as rain, Samantha."  


The blond woman nodded before standing up and moving to the fire, where an odd mix of the 'MREs' and the supplies they were given were being prepared for dinner.   


" Are you all right?" Gandalf asked quietly, carefully, as he lit his pipe.  


"I'm just tired, Gandalf," Frodo whispered, running a hand over the shoulder where the wound from the Nazgul burned, resisting the urge to rub lower, where the ring rested against his skin and almost seemed to throb with his wound. "My shoulder still worries me a bit."  


The wizard nodded, taking a deep puff. "I fear it will trouble you all your life, but hopefully not everyday. The wound went deep, and has yet to heal."  


"That must be it, then," Frodo said, smiling. " I'm just tired."  


"The ring is growing stronger, isn't it?"  


The question was conversational, quiet enough that the rest of their company had probably not heard it, but to Frodo it seemed to echo from the hills around them. "What?"  


Gandalf took his pipe away from his mouth, fixing Frodo with a stare. "Do not play deaf and dumb, young hobbit. You heard the question just fine."  


Frodo dropped his head, then nodded once, the sharp movement almost indiscernible. "At times I feel it would snap my neck, it's so heavy. At others, that it would lift me into the clouds."  


"I fear this will continue, Frodo," Gandalf whispered. "The ring knows where it's going, and grows stronger with every step we take towards Mordor."  


"What if it becomes too strong?" He didn't bother to hide the fear in his voice. The image of Bilbo, reaching for the ring as he became someone else...something else, was too fresh.  


Gandalf sighed. " It is a burden that you have to bear, Frodo Baggins. No one can do it for you."  


Frodo nodded, closing his eyes. What would happen if one of his companions tried to take it? He had Sting, but no real training with a sword. Even if he did, could he really draw the weapon against his friends to defend himself? An image of Sam, standing in front of him with a look of surprise on his face as Sting protruded from his chest made Frodo wince.  


A heavy hand on his shoulder broke his thoughts. "No matter how strong it becomes, you are still stronger. Remember that, and all will be well," the wizard stood, pulling the hobbit up with him. "Now I believe supper is ready and waiting, and you must keep up your strength."  
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Jack settled down on a rock. First watch was about as hard as last watch, since you wanted nothing more than to sleep once you finally got a chance to slow down. He glanced back at the camp. Everyone had passed out, as far as he could tell, with the exception of Teal'c, who was sitting doing his Kel-no-reem, which amounted to much the same thing.  


Lucky bastards.  


"It does no good to curse your companions, O'neill," Legolas's voice drifted from the trees in front of him.  


Jack smiled to himself. So the elf had been in front of him, for a moment he thought he was being paranoid. Good to know that his instincts weren't that rusty. "No one told me elves read minds."  


Legolas laughed before sitting down on a neighboring stone. "We cannot, I was simply assuming you were feeling much the same thing I was."  


Jack raised one eyebrow, grinning. "Nice to know we're on the same page."  


"Same page?"  


"It's an expression. It means that we're thinking the same thing, feeling the same way."  


Legolas pondered the words. "Curious."  


"Most humans are."  


"Your people more so than others, Jack. You knew I was standing in the trees just outside your range of vision. How? Most people, including Gimli and Boromir, would have missed the fact, or dismissed their feelings as fear. "  


Jack sighed. "I was trained to. We call it Special Forces. Basically they train you how to kill someone as quickly and quietly as possible, how to move without being detected, how to disappear," he tossed a stone into the trees.   


"An assassin, then."  


Jack humphed. That was about the best description someone had ever made right off the bat. "Yeah, just about. I've been in situations where I couldn't use my eyes, or my ears, just my instincts."  


The elf nodded. "Many among the humans distrust my people because we are much the same. Are main weapons are stealth and speed."  


"I've noticed. Can all elves do what you do?"  


Legolas looked into the fire. "Most of the young males in Mirkwood are trained in fighting before they know how to do anything else. My home is close to Mordor, and the evil from that place seeps into our very ground at times. Those who cannot wield a sword and bow can quickly perish."  


Jack nodded. "What about the women?"  


"Some learn how to fight, more than the elders would like in more recent years. A few become soldiers. In my years I have had to fight alongside them, and there are times when a female is preferable to a male. They are lighter, quieter, and the competition makes then more deadly."  


Jack could understand that. He'd run into all types in his years, and the worst thing to be up against was a woman who was trying to prove she could hang with the boys. Softer sex his ass. "So you were a soldier."  


Legolas nodded, letting his eyes drift over the camp and surrounding tree line. " I and my brothers served for years, both as infantry and commanders. One cannot lead his people unless he himself as tasted battle and hardship. To let someone who has not obtain power is folly indeed, a philosophy shared by all the races."  


Jack thought back to his Earth, where the people in power were the type to complain about paper cuts. He doubted their world would be so messed up if they had to deal with something more trying than having to choose between pastels or bolds for their curtains. "Sounds like a good practice to me. So, tell me more about Mirkwood."  


The elfs eyes took on a faraway look. "It is the largest of the elven dwellings that still exist in this country.  


Our home is under the hills of our forest, great halls that were built by both elven and dwarven hands long ago, in the time before my father. It is beautiful, O'Neill. Underground rivers and lakes feed fountains of fantastical shapes and colors."  


"Why do you live underground?"  


Legolas's eyes darkened. "We were driven there, in the days when Mordor's evil spread unchecked through the world. Terrible creatures invaded the forests, killing my people and driving us into the underground caverns. We refused to leave, and fought for over a thousand years before the evil began to recede. Some of us have ventured above ground and made homes, but they are few, and the City remains our refuge."  


Like living in a bunker, Jack thought to himself. "Why didn't you just leave?"  


"Mirkwood is our home, Jack. Would you allow someone to drive you from yours?" at the colonels silence, Legolas continued. " Too many of our people died defending our forest to leave it, so we stayed, and weathered the storms. Perhaps you haven't noticed, but elves are a proud race, perhaps too arrogant and stubborn for our own good at times. We resist change until it cannot be stopped, a hazard of living so long without changing ourselves."  


Jack was presented with an image of himself at the elf's serious words, an image of him at sixty, still trying to see the world through the same eyes he had now. He hated to think about it, but he knew what the elf said was true. After a while, you cant change how you see the world, not enough to stay in it.   


Silently, he watched the elf pull out one of his blades, running a whet stone over the sharp edge with the ease of long practice. The weapon itself was beautiful, but worn and chipped in places, and had the air of a well used, and well loved, possession. Legolas eyed the blade in the firelight before running an oil cloth over it and returning it to its sheath, repeating the process with its twin. That done, he turned his attention to his arrows, checking each with a critical eye, running a finger over the fletching and shaft. It served to remind Jack that these weren't just props or toys, they had to be ready anytime, for anything, and required maintenance it they were to be at their best. Jack let his mind drift while his senses stayed on alert. They had about another hour before their watch was up, then he'd be able to get some much earned sleep.  
________________  
  
Teal'c opened his eyes when a soft hand rested on his shoulder. "I am ready, Major Carter," he said, folding up from his sitting position. He could see Aragorn's silhouette against the firelight, already seated facing the treeline.   


"Why do you speak to her so formally?"  


Teal'c came to stand next to the man before answering. "In my culture it is proper to name someone according to their rank. Given names are a sign of familiarity that is reserved for family members and close friends."  


The ranger nodded. "They use your given name."  


"My family name was forfeit when we were banished from our home."  


Teal'c expected sympathy at his confession. Most tau'ri were quick to offer it when they learned of his past. Others allowed their contempt for such a culture to show, if not in their comments then in their looks. Teal'c was surprised when he sensed neither from the man, only a deep feeling of understanding.  


"I too live in exile, Teal'c," Aragorn said, turning his head to look at the jaffa squarely. "A self-imposed exile to some extent, but exile nonetheless."  


" You are the heir to a kingdom."  


A grim smile met that declaration. "The bastard heir to a kingdom quickly falling into ruin."  


"Then you would deny your birthright?"  


"I do not believe in someone inheriting a right through birth, Teal'c. The only rights that should be given are those that are earned in ones lifetime. I have no desire to become king of Gondor, or anywhere else. Besides, most of the noble houses of Gondor would likely rebel if the throne was occupied by someone whose claim could be called tenuous... at best. I have no desire to stir up a civil war."  


Teal'c raised one eyebrow. "Then why does it still weigh so heavily upon you?" Aragorn didn't respond. "I have noticed in my years on Earth that humans tend to preoccupy themselves with what they cannot control, paths that should have been taken, but were not. It is a quality that is lacking among my own people."  


"Then you are not human?" Aragorn's interest was piqued.  


"The jaffa are descended from the humans of earth. We are bred to serve, to fight, and to die for the false gods who enslave us. They require absolute obedience, or the semblance of. Indecision is something that we do not have the luxury of having."  


"Then for that I envy you."  
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THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for reading my stuff. I added this chapter because I thought they needed some bonding time, or something. Please leave a donation in the feedback box and let me know if I'm doing a good job with the characterization!!! :) 


	10. Ups and Downs

"What is troubling you, Aragorn?"  


The ranger looked in the concerned blue eyes of Legolas. "Why is it you feel I'm troubled?"  


Legolas looked ahead, where their companions marched in a straight line over one of the steeper paths through the Misty Mountains. "You have been watching our four additions since we left Rivendell. I do not feel you trust them."  


"Oh, I trust them, my friend," Aragorn sighed, slowing down. "What happens when the Ring begins to tempt them? I do not know if I could resist, let alone those who have no idea what it could do."  


The elf nodded. "It would be unfortunate, given the strength of their weapons."  


"And that doesnt trouble you?"  


Legolas laughed slightly. "If course it troubles me. I am not a fool. But what good does it to worry about something you cannot control?"  


"To be prepared for the likelyhood of an attack from an unusual angle."  


"Please, my friend, take my advice. Do not waste your time worrying about something that may happen in the future. Concern yourself with what happens now, for that you can control."  


The ranger nodded, almost to himself, then started forward. "O'Neill, would you like to scout ahead?"  


The tall man waved his assent, the paused, waving his companions ahead of him.  


"You and your friends have exceptional discipline, Colonel."  


Jack smiled. Complements were always nice. "We've been doing it a long time, but wait until some ruins or something shows up. Daniel will run ahead of everyone and I'll have to grab him."  


Aragorn laughed. "And what will Samantha and Teal'c do?"  


"Laugh uncontrollably."  


"I know little about what you do in your own world, O'Neill. Elrond told me only that I need not worry over your safety."  


Jack smiled. "We're a first contact team. On Earth, we use the stargate to travel to other worlds that we cant reach through any other means. We usually go through, see if there're people around, and try not to let Daniel get killed."  


Aragorn frowned. "Then he is not as capable as the rest of you?"  


"Oh, he's capable all right. We practice regularly with weapons and formation. He's just a little...flaky," he sighed at Aragorns blank expression. "It means he can do what he supposed to, he just gets sidetracked when something catches his interest. Like ruins, strange writing, damsels in distress, that kind a thing.  


"I'm afraid I have been overly concerned with the wellfare of yourself and your people. I am aware of everyones strengths and weaknesses, except for yours."  


Jack looked back, where Gandalf was leading the remainder of their procession after them. The wizard had to be the toughest old man outside of Bra'tac that he'd ever known. Had barely even broken a sweat once in the week since they started traveling. Legolas right behind him, followed by Daniel, the hobbits, Gimli, Boromir, and Teal'c. The most defenseless in the center.  


"You worry about them as well."  


Jack laughed to himself. "Yeah. They're my kids in all the ways that matter. They're some of the only family I have."   


Aragorn looked back, recalling several times that O'Neill had resembled more of an exasperated parent than a commander to his people. "You have no children, then?"  


Aragorn wasnt prepared for O'Neills reaction to the question. The other man visibly froze. "Not anymore. My son died five years ago." Jack's tone made it clear that this was the end of the conversation.  


"We near the travelers road through the mountains, the swiftest road through to the east. We make camp once we reach the peak of this rise."  


"Thank God!" Jack fought the urge to dance. "Lets pick it up, then!"  
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"They dont get out much, do they?"  


Daniel turned to look at Gandalf, who sat smoking his pipe. Below them the narrow valley spread out, and he could make out the grey ribbon of the eastern road.  


"Hobbits rarely leave the shire except in the most dire of emergencies," the wizard answered between puffs.  


Daniel laughed. "And what about Bilbo?"  


"Bilbo? I didnt do anything drastic, just a little push out his front door."  


"And a little push into a dragons lair," Frodo added from behind them both. "Face it, Gandalf, your definition of little is different from that of the rest of the world."  


Gandalf laughed. "On the matter of hobbits, only a select few will ever travel outside the shire unless they are dragged kicking and screaming."  


"None so happily as Merry and Pip."  


The trio turned to were Boromir was teaching the two the basics of sword play.  


"If someone would ask my opinion, which I note they are not, I would say we're taking the long way 'round," Gimli puffed angrily on his pipe. "Gandalf, we could go through the mines of Moria. My uncle Balin would give us a royal welcome. And who knows, perhaps young Daniel will find something of interest. The mines are thousands of years old."  


Gandalf shook his head. "No Gimli. I would not go through the mines unless I had no other choice."  


Legolas's sudden movement broke the moment. "Something is coming."  


Gimli snorted. "Its nothing. Just a whisp of cloud."  


Boromir looked up. "Its moving fast, against the wind."  


"Spies from Saruman. Hide!"  


Daniel was surprised at the speed everyone moved. One moment he was sitting in the middle of the camp, the next he was shoved under a rock by Gandalf, the only sign of them being there the watered remains of a cook fire.  


"The eastern passes are being watched. We must take the pass of Caradhras."  


Daniel followed the mages gaze to the snow covered mountain. This was not going to be easy.  


"All right, break out the snow gear."  


Daniel sighed at Jack's order. The thick socks made his toes go numb, not to mention the heat they created was almost too much to bear. the last thing they needed was to be overheated in the middle of a mission.  
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Sam hated snow.  


Correction. She liked snow. There was nothing more fun than having a snow ball fight in the middle of winter, then going inside for cups of hot chocolate and oven-warm cookies.  


She hated trudging through drifts of snow, climbing passes where you sank at least a foot into white coldness before being fished out again. She hated carrying a fifty-pound pack on top of that. She hated the fact that the only reason her pack was fifty pounds was because everyone insisted that she put at least ten pounds on Bill.  


"Do you fare well?"  


Sam looked up, grateful for the goggles that protected her eyes from the flying snow. Legolas was standing on a drift, looking down at her with concern. "I'm fine. How's Gandalf?"  


The elf smiled. "Gandalf the Grey has been wandering these paths since before I was born. He will be the last to tire of our company."  


Sam nodded before fixing her eyes on Teal'c's back, Or rather, Gimli's. The jaffa had picked up the dwarf without hesitation once the snow became too deep, despite Gimli's many threats. Aragorn and Boromir carried the hobbits, and Jack was taking up the rear with Daniel leading Bill. She looked up again, where Legolas was balancing on the drift, running back to Jack, then forward to speak to Gandalf.  


There were times when she really hated that elf.  


"It's Saruman!"  


That was the only warning she got before the rumbling started, and she barely got out of the way before a blanket of white came down, burying her along with the rest of their party.  


Sam fought down her panic. Being buried alive under what could be tons of snow wasnt nearly as bad as being stuck with Apophis...or Nirti. As quickly as she could she dug up, wincing as a fingernail broke, then tore off completely, but she was rewarded when a hand broke through the darkness and grabbed her wrist, bringing her back into the sunlight.  


"That road takes us too close to Isengard!"  


She looked around, grateful when everyone was accounted for. She shook her head, trying to get snow out of her ears, and only heard Gandalf proclaim that the ringbearer would decide.  


"We go through the mines."  


Frodo's quite voice broke through the howling wind, and the company slowly shifted itself, traveling back down the steep pass.  


"Why dont we just slide down, it'd save time," Sam laughed, coming up beside Daniel.  


"We'd have to leave someone behind to bring Bill down."  


Sam grumbled to herself, halfway up the mountain, and they had to loose the rest of the way to go back down.  


"So what do you think Jacob would say about all this?" Daniel asked.  


Sam smirked, hefting her gun to relieve the pressure on her shoulder. "Probably the same thing Anise would say: humans get into more trouble than they're worth."  


Five hours later they were traveling back on solid ground, much to everyones relief. She could have sworn Teal'c gave a sigh of relief when he set Gimli down.  


"Was he heavy?" she whispered.  


Teal'c only turned his head. "Indeed."  
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THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!! Thank you for reading my stuff. Please leave a donation in the feedback box on your way out. All reviews are placed on a shrine next to my computer for moral support. Flames will be eaten with soy sauce and rum.  
  
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	11. Orcs and Goblins

"This is the door to the mines? Looks like the back of my closet," Jack muttered as they approached the tall cliffs. The gates of Moria were hidden, unrecognizable from the surrounding rock.   


Gimli scoffed. "You will not think the same when you see the interior of the mines. For thousands of years Moria has been the home of dwarves. Once it was the greatest kingdom in all of Middle Earth."  


"Mithril was once mined here," Legolas added. "Long ago elves would travel to this place to trade for the metal. Precious little of it remains in the earth."  


Jack turned his head as the two started 'discussing' the culpability of dwarves in the lack of mithril. The place was making him uneasy. Nothing living remained in the area, and the darkness only made the shadows deeper.   


And he was still trying to decide what that smell was.  


"Ithlidin," Gandalf muttered. "It mirrors only starlight, and moonlight."  


Before Jack could ask what he was muttering about, the clouds parted, and a shaft of moonlight hit the doors. In seconds the outline of the doors glowed brightly, revealing their intricate designs. "Sweet."  


In seconds, Daniel was standing next to the wizard, running a critical eye over the door. "This is elvish."  


Gandalf was startled. "Very good, Daniel. It is an ancient form of elvish."  


"What does it say?" Frodo asked, standing next to the two.  


Gandalf raised his staff and followed the flowing line. "It says, 'The doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak friend, and enter.'"  


"Okay, and what does that mean?" Jack asked, looking warily at the doors.  


"It means that if you're a friend you speak the pass word, and the doors will open."  


Jack turned back to the lake as Gandalf began chanting something he was sure he didn't want to have translated. The wizards deep voice boomed against the cliffs, then fell silent.  


"Well, that was pointless."  


Sam elbowed him in the ribs. "He's been here before, he'll get it, sir."  


"Yeah, in the meantime, we're stuck out here freezing our asses off at the edge of the Black Lagoon."  


"Your ass is still attached to your body, O'Neill."  


Jack sighed. "Thanks for the astute observation, Teal'c."  


For the next hour the companions sat near the gates as Gandalf tried everything he could think of to get them to open, but they refused to budge. Jack was tempted to tell Sam to break out the claymores and make a door, but he didn't think that would go over well with the rest of the companions. Plus he wasn't looking forward to carrying sixty pounds of equipment, now that Bill was set free.  


"This officially sucks."  


Daniel sighed. "Stop complaining, Jack. Gandalf just has to figure it out."  


"That's it."  


Jack turned. "What's it, Frodo?"  


The hobbit walked to the doors. "Its a riddle. What's the elvish word for friend?"  


"Melon."  


"Hallelujah!" Jack shouted as the door opened. It was about time. "Its dark in there people, break out the nightvision."  
Sam and Daniel groaned as they dug the goggles out of their packs. The four had attempted to explain how night vision goggles worked during the first week of their travels together, but succeeded only in confusing the companions. They finally settled on just using them and assuring everyone that they were actually doing what they were supposed to.  


"Dont dwarves believe in lamps?" Jack asked as he adjusted the strap.   


Gimli simply humphed before turning to Legolas. "Soon master Elf you'll be enjoyn the fabled hospitality of the dwarves. Malt beer, red meat off the bone."  


"Ouch...shit..." Jack stumbled looking down at his feet. "Oh my God."  


"This isn't a mine, its a tomb."  


Boromir's soft words echoed though the chamber. Everywhere they looked they could make out the faint outline of bones and armor. Jack lifted his P-90, peering further into the darkness as he heard the answering clicks as Daniel and 

Sam did the same.  


"Goblins."  


"What?" Jack turned to Legolas, who stood with his bow ready. "What do you mean goblins?"  


Before the elf could answer a startled cry broke from the back of their group. Jack turned, only to be blinded by the moonlight streaming through the doors.  


"Goddamnit!" He tore off the goggles, and wished he hadnt. What could only be described as a giant octopus had hold of Frodo, and looked like it was about to eat the poor hobbit. Jack started firing at the head, cursing when the bullets seemed to slide off the skin.  


"Aim for the arms!" he head Daniel cry, and tried it, grimacing when one of the damaged arms collapsed under its own weight. With Strider and Boromir hacking their way to Frodo, they had to aim high, doing little damage. Finally, the thing dropped Frodo, and they ran the only place they could, into the mines.  


"What in the name of all thats holy was that fuckin thing?" Jack gasped into the darkness after the dust had settled around them.  


"An ancient evil that should not be," Gandalf answered. "We must now face the long dark of Moria. Be on your guard; there are older, and fouler things in the dark places of the world."  
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"This really is fascinating," Daniel said as they passed through Moria. A day had already gone by, if Gandalf was to be believed, and in that time they had passed through a veritable treasure trove of artifacts. The very walls were covered with paintings and runes that spoke of the dwarves rich history. Several times he'd wanted to stop, only to be pushed on by Jack with a warning that they 'would' leave him behind.  


"Once this was the light of the world," Gimli answered, looking wistfully at the ruin around them. "These mines were alive with thousands of artisans and craftsmen. And not just dwarves, mind you. But elves, humans, and just about anything else that was civilized in Middle Earth." he cast a sly look at Legolas. "When things started to go sour, the elves were the first to pack up shop."  


The elf scowled. " You speak as if there was something they could do. All left the mines once Durins Bane made its presence known."  


"They could have stayed and fought, not run to their forests."  


"Aye, and died, just as Durin and his son did. There were elves counted among those of the fallen when the mines were finally overrun."  


Daniel sighed to himself. Gimli and Legolas fought as much as he and Jack did, but while their arguments were mostly friendly, between the elf and dwarf he could sense a real hostility, the same one that he felt between the two at Elrond's council. Shaking his head as the argument continued in hushed tones, he walked ahead, to where Gandalf was leading them with his staff.  


"I wouldn't worry about them," the wizard said. "The anger between the elves and dwarves is a long standing one, founded by mistrust and misunderstanding on both sides."  


"Have they ever fought?"  


Gandalf laughed quietly. "Fought? No, they only exchange harsh words, but those at times can be much worse than the sting of a sword. Elves and dwarves have had little to do with each other since the time of Narvi, and that was when I was young."  


Daniel blinked. "How old are you, Gandalf?"  


"Among the elves I would be considered well aged. I have walked the roads of this earth for long years."  


"Your not gonna tell me, are you?"  


That got him a full grin. "Not if I can help it."  


Daniel sighed before turning his attention back to their walk. Moria disappeared into the darkness on all sides, but a faint light from above illuminated the closer ruins, revealing bridges, ladders, and other evidence that this was once a working mine.  


The only problem were the bodies. After the first few hours the sight of the decomposed corpses had lost most of its power, but a chill still remained. It was almost impossible to not step on some body part or other as they picked their way after Gandalf. Thousands had fought and died here, a mute testament to the will of the dwarves.  


"Why arent their any goblin bodies?" he asked.  


Gandalf grumbled. "Goblins are cannibals of the worst sort. They will not only eat their dead, but the wounded as well, if they cannot defend themselves."  


"Oh."  
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"Frodo?"  


Frodo turned when he heard Pip's soft voice behind him. "What is it, Pip?"  


"Oh, nothin'. Just wanted to know if you were all right."  


Frodo sighed. He had been all right since Bilbo's birthday party. "I'm fine Pip. How are you?"  


The small hobbit shivered. "Wishing for a fire and some of Sandyman's coney stew." he leaned closer to Frodo. "Are you sure you're well. You haven't talked to us for hours."  


Frodo sighed. "I've been thinking about everything. About where we're going, where we are. You and Merry shouldn't even be here."  


"Neither should you, Frodo." Pip sighed. "How do you like our companions, they saved your life, you know."  


Frodo shook his head. "I was too busy thinking about getting eaten to wonder about who was doing the saving. All I remember was loud bangs, yelling and slimy tentacles," he barely suppressed a shiver at the memory.  


"I thought my ears would burst when they started firing their weapons, and the one Teal'c carries. It could probably cut through an orc, or one of those trees the Gaffer swears went walking through the fields last season."  


Frodo chuckled at the memory. Sam's father had run into the old mill, swearing that an oak tree was walking through the southern fields, happy as you please. "The Gaf probably had too much brandywine for his own good that day, is all."  


Pip laughed, then clamped a hand over his mouth when Jack and Gimli turned around, skewering him with their eyes. "I'd better be quiet before I bring down the whole mine with my blathering."  


Frodo kept walking as Pip fell behind, his eyes fixed on the dim floor. For over two weeks they'd been traveling, scrambling through passes and over rocks, avoiding any other travelers for fear of being spotted by Saurons spies. Grimly, he touched his shoulder, where the wraith wound throbbed dully, an answering pulse coming from the ring around his neck.  
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Sam was shaking.  


It wasn't as if she hadnt seen battle before. In her short time at the SGC she'd fought against more jaffa than she cared to imagine, not to mention having Jolinar's memories of huge battles rattling around her mind. Before that she'd had to deal with the fear of being shot down in enemy air space. But the cries coming from the other side of the door were something she had no experience with, but from the reactions of the Middle Earthers it had to be something terrible. If they survived this, she was personally going to strangle Pip, even if it meant standing in line.  


"Stay behind us, guys," she whispered to the hobbits as Jack and Daniel rushed to help the others barricade the door.  


Take a breath Sam, and calm down, she said to herself as the first blows rained against the door. She cinched her P-90 closer to her shoulder, concentrating on her breathing. Keeping your calm in a fight often meant the difference between life and death.  


That didn't make doing it any easier.  


"Sam, we get pinned down blow us a new exit," Jack called over his shoulder. He stood with Teal'c, flanking Aragorn and Legolas.   


Sam nodded, slinging her gun and digging in her pack, finding the claymores without looking. She heard the door splintering as she placed the first charge against a far wall Gandalf pointed to with his sword.  


It was about that time that all hell broke loose.  


They...whatever they were...poured in from all sides. Despite Jack, Daniel, and Teal'c laying down fire they swarmed into the room, and she lost sight of the hobbits in the confusion. She could hear P-90 fire, and the distinctive sound of a staff weapon firing, and consoled herself that her team was still fighting, now all they had to do was find each other.  


She moved just in time to keep her head, as a large axe crashed into the wall. She turned, concentrating her fire only on what she could see when her first instinct was to spray everything in front of her. There was a good chance she could catch one of her friends if she wasn't careful.  


"Frodo! Pip!"  
  
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Oh shit.  


That was Jack's first thought as the cave troll bashed its way through what remained of the door. The thing was huge, and carried a hammer. The part of his mind that was capable of sarcastic thought was steadily comparing it to his mother in law. The size was about right, as was the smell.  


Oh fucking shit.  


That was his second thought as the troll struck Teal'c's staff weapon, snapping the long stem in two. When the troll singled him out for crushing he was beyond thinking of anything other than getting out of the way.  


This was not good.  


Fighting in tight spaces was something Jack had gotten used to. Most covert ops found you fighting in enclosed spaces, usually room to room, or at worst street to street. The bad part about this was they were so spread out. Every shot had to be clocked just right, or he ran the risk of killing his men. Now he had to concentrate all his fire on the troll and pray that someone was watching his back.  


Thankfully, the thing had bad eyesight. At least, it managed to hit everything but them, which was a good thing from his point of view. The bad thing was their guns just seemed to make the thing madder.  


"Daniel, fall back!"   


Jack had one chance to see Daniel before the troll did, shooting at the door to keep any more orcs from entering, then he was gone.  


Shit shit shit shit shit. Jack fought his way to were Daniel was laying, shaking his head. The man had more lives than a cat.  
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Teal'c looked around him, trying to find his friends in the madness around him. He and Gandalf were trying to keep the hobbits safe, acting as a net to catch those enemies who made their way past the first line. He used the remains of his staff weapon as cudgels, beating back the almost endless wave of creatures that streamed through the door in the wake of the troll. It reminded him of the Unas, just larger and fouler smelling.  


Gandalf''s cry alerted him, and he saw the mage being beaten back by three of the orcs. Hoping he would not be sacrificing two of his friends to save one, he moved to aid the wizard, unaware of the troll moving into the gap he created. This was nothing like the battles he'd led in Apophis's service. This was chaos, his companions separated and lost in the fighting.  
  
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Sam released her breath when the cave troll fell, then moaned. Using a P-90 as a makeshift shield was not good for ones arms, or any other body part. Slashes covered her arms and most of her torso, nothing deep enough to be life threatening, but just enough to sting whenever she moved.  


"Sound off," Jack's voice cut through the eerie calm.  


"Sam."  


"Daniel, I think."  


"I am well, O'Neill."  


"Frodo's down," Jack's voice carried back to them, and Sam wanted to cry. Frodo couldn't be dead. She limped over to where his body was laying against a back wall, and almost collapsed in relief when he sat up.   


"You have more lives than Danny Boy, Frodo," Jack said, ruffling Frodo's hair.  


The hobbit nodded, tearing open his shirt to reveal chain mail.  


"Mithril," Sam heard the awe in Gimli's voice. So this was the stuff the dwarves prized so heavily. "You're full of surprises, young hobbit."  


A weary smile was their only answer before the dull thud of drums started again.  


"Fire in the hole!" Sam shouted, Daniel and Jack pushing everyone down as she detonated the claymores.  


"Lets go," Jack ushered the shocked hobbits through the hole first, and Sam wondered if they could even hear what he was saying. Then she was running, and the darkness around them came alive. Goblins and orcs were pouring from everywhere, climbing down the walls like roaches.  


Great, just when you need a big can of Raid.  
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Jack felt the thud before he heard it. Four P-90's firing into a throng of goblins was not helpful to ones hearing, but it kept them alive. It took him another second to see the reactions of the goblins when they heard it. No matter what they were, you could always tell when something was afraid.  


That they were running away from the light moving towards them wasn't a good sign.  


"Uh, people, I think we should run now," he whispered into the silence that had fallen, backing away slowly. It was too quiet, reminding him of the calm before a tornado.  


"What new devilry is this?" Boromir asked, looking to Gandalf, who was clutching his staff with white knuckles.  


"A Balrog. A demon of the ancient world." Gandalf opened his eyes. "This foe is beyond any of you. RUN!"  


Jack didn't need to be told twice, and started off in the direction Gandalf had already began running in, letting everyone else cut in front of him. A small part of him admired the old man. He was probably older than anyone else, but he was in the lead. Jack looked back once at the tomb, where their gear was sitting against a wall. Hopefully one of the goblins would find the grenades after they were gone and blow himself and his friends to pieces.  


The thought made him feel a little better.  


"Great, now what?" he yelled. Their entire trip through the mines had been one of cold darkness. Now, they were surrounded by fire, and the accompanying heat. Boromir and Legolas were picking themselves up off the steps, so he guessed that that option was closed.  


Jack took a quick head count. Thirteen still. He wasn't a superstitious man by nature, but he was seriously thinking of changing that particular outlook on life. Some things were just not lucky. His opinion of their luck dropped further when they only way seemed to be down, further into the heat.   


"Where exactly are we headed?" he called.  


"The bridge," Aragorn pointed to a slender slab of stone, spanning what he guessed was a hundred foot gap.  
Nothing like a little fire and brimstone to get the blood going.  
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Daniel never considered himself a religious person. Living in different countries, constantly surrounded by conflicting beliefs pretty much ensured that you didn't take any one more seriously than another. The closest he'd ever come to committing to one religion was when he was still a child, living in Egypt with his parents. Islam had been the dominate religion, and his nannies and friends had all believed in Allah, so he'd wanted to join in. Since that time he'd studied more religions than most people knew existed. He'd been in paoti induced trances with North American shamans, drunk potions that made LSD look like Tylenol in the Andes, and smoked plants he was sure were illegal in just about any country you set foot in. He'd traveled the galaxy, seen creatures that were considered more myth than legend, and even challenged gods.  


But this was the first time he'd ever seen a demon.  


This must be what the Christians imagined when they wrote accounts of hell, he thought. The huge creature had burst from the ground, made up of fire and darkness, complete with wings and horns. If Legolas hadnt pushed him, he probably would have just stood there, frozen, and been trampled as the things chased after them.  


Our father, who art in heaven...  


Then there was the bridge. For a moment he wished they were back on Cimmeria, facing Thor's test. At least that had been an illusion. This- a slender stone bridge suspended over darkness- was anything but.  


Great mother, giver of life...  


"You cannot pass!"  


Daniel turned around, and froze. Gandalf was standing in the middle of the bridge, staff raised, challenging the balrog. "What the hell is he doing?" he started running back, to be held up by Aragorn.  


"Dont, you will kill us all."  


"I am the wielder of the secret fire, keeper of the flame of Anor."  


Daniel blinked as a sphere of light surrounded the wizard, piercing the shadows that surrounded the demon.  


There was a blinding flash as the sword the creature carried impacted with the sphere, sending sparks in every direction. The creature humphed, but Gandalf was still standing.  


"Go,"Aragorn whispered, pushing him into Teal'c's arms.  


"Come Daniel, there is nothing we can do," He didn't struggle as Teal'c pulled up away from the bridge, passing him up to Jack.  


"You cannot pass!" Gandalf's voice rang out again, and Daniel turned at the flash of light. The bridge broke beneath the demon, sending it into the shadows. Gandalf stood there for a moment, watching as it fell, then turned.  


He didn't even see it coming.  


Daniel screamed as the wizard fell, struggling in an attempt to reach the wizard as Boromir wrestled with Frodo. The wizard had caught himself on the edge, but couldn't pull himself up.  


"Fly you fools," he said.  


Then he was gone.  
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Thank you so much for reading my stuff!!!!!!! Special thanks goes to otsi, H. Puck hoellenwauwau, Shanna anon Frances Holland, Elwen half-elven, Jalenn, Brummie Babe, and Harriet for the wonderful reviews!!!! Remember, please leave a donation in the feedback box on your way out!!!!! All donations are welcome so leave as many as you like. Sorry about the delay between postings. 


	12. Farewells and forward

"General?"

George Hammond looked up at the soft words. "Yes sergeant?"

"The Tok'ra emissary is here, sir."

George sighed. The last thing he wanted was to explain to a friend that he'd lost his daughter. " Send him in." Hammond stilled himself, going over the speech he'd been working on for the past two weeks. "Jacob, it's good to see you."

Jacob Carter smiled. "Good to see you too, George, though I have to say the welcome was less than warm. What's going on?"

"We're having a problem. We tried to contact you sooner, but the High Council said you were gone.It concerns Sam, Jacob."

George watched as Jacob stilled, sinking slowly into a chair. "What happened?"

" Almost three weeks ago, we sent SG1 to a presurveryed planet. There were signs to indigenous life, but nothing close to the gate. On our end, eveything proceeded as planned, but something happened. As far as we can tell, Sg1 never reached their destination." George paused to let the information sink in. "We've sent three different teams to the planet, but there's been no sign of them, I've even sent teams to addresses along the flight plan and in the general vicinity. No sign of struggle...nothing."

"No communication?"

"None. I've put off declaring them MIA, but I'll have to soon. We've reached the end of our rope, and with the Asgard fighting their own war the Tok'ra are the only real allies we have now."

"What about the Tollan?"

George stemmed his anger at the memory of his meeting with the Tollan emissary. "They expressed their sincerest apologies, but declined to offer any assistance, and as usual also declined to offer any technical expertise that might explain what happened."

Jacob was silent for long moments, then his eyes flashed. " Is their any indication of a minor malfunction, General Hammond?"

George shook his head, shivering inside. No matter how many times he saw it, the tell-tale flashing would always unsettle him, not to mention the voice. "All we have is a change in the gate color from blue to purple, but it lasted less than a second. The only reason we found the glitch at all was because I had my people going over everything with a fine tooth comb."

"No disruption in electrical output?"

"None that our instruments could pick up."

Selmac sighed. "We will return to the Tok'ra and see if any of our scientists can discover what happened to your people as soon as we have leave to go, General."

"Of course," Hammond stood, gesturing for Selmac to walk ahead of him. "Can I speak to Jacob?"

Selmac shook his head. "Jacob does not wish to speak now, General. This news has greatly disturbed him."

George nodded as he walked the ex-general to the gate-room. He couldnt even think of what he'd do if someone told him one of his granddaughters was missing. He just hoped there was some light at the end of the tunnel they were traveling in.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Jack tossed the P-90 on the ground, fighting the urge to kick it. The sunlight was harsh after walking for four days in darkness, and it only served to taunt him. They had been so close to escaping, less than five hundred yards from sunlight, from safety. A distance that had proved too far for one of them.

He turned around, doing an automatic head count. Twelve. One less than thirteen.

"Legolas, get them up!"

Aragorn's voice cut through his thoughts, bringing him back to the situation at hand. Stopping outside an enemies front door wasnt the best of moves, even if the things refused to travel in sunlight. It was too close to sunset to chance it.

"Give them a moment for pities sake!"

The colonel sighed at Boromir's words. As much as he wanted a moment, both for himself and his friends, they didnt have one. He looked at their faces, each one carrying an expression of shocked disbelief. He expected the old wizard to come out of the mines at any moment, asking why the long faces.

"By nightfall these hills will be crawling with orcs. We must reach the forest of Lothlorien."

Lothlorien. Golden Wood. Jack translated the words without thinking. Pretty name. Shaking himself, he turned around, leaving his gun on the rocks. He was out of ammo anyway, and he was sure everyone else was. All their supplies were still in the mines. 

"On your feet, sir," Aragorn said to Sam, pulling him gently but firmly to his feet. The hobbit stood there for a moment before Daniel walked over to him, herding him to where Gimli was waiting with Boromir. Jack moved to help Legolas, who was having a hard time detaching Merry and Pip.

"We must leave now, while we still have a chance," the elf was whispering. "Else Gandalf's sacrifice will have been for nothing."

When this earned him no response Jack swallowed his pity, pulling Merry and Pippin up with the elf's help. "Come one, we can cry later. Now we move, or we may as well have died back there with him."

The harsh words got Merry's attention, and he wipped away his tears, staring defiantly at Jack. Pip looked up once before scrubing his face and following Merry down to where everyone was waiting, but that one look told Jack everything he needed to know. Pip was blaming himself for what happened. Jack squashed the small part of him that screamed that it was his fault. That if he kept his hands to himself, they would have made it out without anyone being the wiser. Gandalf made his choice. He'd stayed behind by choice.

But those thoughts didnt make it any easier.

"You guys all right?" He asked when he came on his team. Both Sam and Daniel looked closer to crying than he'd seen them in a long time, but they nodded without saying a word. Teal'c was wearing his usual stoic face, but Jack could see the small creases around his eyes that betrayed his emotions.

"What's our status on ammo?"

Sam chucked her gun. "I'm out of ammo, sir. Got two clips on me for my sidearm, and three grenades.

"Same here, Jack."

"I still posses my zatni'kata, O'Neill."

He fought the urge to curse but forced himself to look on the brightside; some ammo was better than no ammo. "Conserve what you've got. If we hit hostiles only shoot what you can hit," he knew he didnt need to say it, but he had to say something.

"Jack, are you ready?"

O'Neill found Aragorn, standing ready at the base of the hills. "Yeah, we'll take up the rear."

The ranger nodded before running nimbly down the rocks, Legolas and the hobbits following without difficulty. Boromir and Gimli were right behind them, following with only a little difficulty. Jack cringed as he started running after them. Their trip was already testing the limits to his endurance, and he wondered how Daniel and Sam were faring. There was one thing he knew for certain: he was really getting too old for this.

He breathed a silent prayer of thanks when they finished scrambling over the sun-heated rocks and began running across a flat plain. In the distance he could see trees, tall ones that looked like a cross between a redwood and an oak tree, and they got taller the closer they came. Jack wanted to ask if that was their destination, but kept quiet. Their run had been done completely in silence, a game of follow the leader. At the moment, he wondered if he could find somewhere where no one could see or hear him and puke. Ever since training he'd gotten sick after the adrenaline was out of his system. The docs said it was because his body couldnt process the excess hormone once it wasnt needed anymore. An unusual disorder, actually, affecting only one in about five million.

Lucky him.

O'Neill fought the urge to laugh when they finally reached the shade. They had been running almost non stop for the better part of three hours, and he wasnt sure if he was going to pass out or throw up. Daniel wasnt doing much better, and he'd never seen Sam turn that particular color before. It was at least ten degrees cooler under the trees than it was in the sun, and with a small stream trickling near by he wanted nothing more than to plunge his head in and sit there, but that was wistful thinking. More than likely they'd be ushered off somewhere before they could finish blinking.

Johnathan, your coming was foretold.

Jack stumbled, looking around. It felt like someone had taken a two-by-four and just missed a homerun swing at his head. No one else acted like they'd heard anything.

We are waiting for you.

If it had been up to him, Jack would have called a halt and turned everyone around. Something was definately not right about this place. He'd seen an image for a split second. Eyes. Cold, deep blue eyes that made him feel like they saw right through him.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Aragorn breathed a sigh of relief when they reached the shade under the tall trees, slowing down from a fast trot to a crawl. They were safe, at least as safe as they could be considering their quest. He couldnt see them, but he knew they were being watched. Lothlorien had guardians that saw everything, and acted if they didnt like what they saw, and not all those guardians were elves.

You have traveled far, Ranger.

Aragorn didnt stop. He knew that cool voice better, it seemed, than he knew his own. 

We know of your quest, and offer you sanctuary.

The ranger closed his eyes in relief. There had been a small part of him that feared his people would be ushered through the wood quickly. They all were in desperate need of rest, both mentally and physically, and he was now responsible for making sure they got it. He laughed to himself when he heard Gimli describing the Lady of the Wood. Elf-witch indeed. Elf, yes. Witch, no, but one of the most powerful beings he'd met in his long life.

"Halt."

The words were quiet, but the threat was very real. The watchers had made themselves known, and now his group was surrounded by elves, all of them with weapons drawn and ready.

"A dwarf breathes so loud we could have shot him in the dark."

Haldir. The elf hadnt changed in the fifty years he'd known him. "Haldir."

The elf bowed slightly to Aragorn, then moved his attention to Legolas. The prince stood, arrow ready to fly. It surprised Aragorn that the elf would respond this way to his own people, but he knew why. With their cargo no one could be trusted on sight alone, and for the moment, the elf's allegiance was to Frodo and the quest, no one else.

"Aragorn, I suggest we find another route. These woods are perilous."

Haldir scoffed at Gimli's words.

"You cannot leave. The only route left is foreward, and the lady awaits."

Aragorn nodded, gesturing his people to follow him, as if they had a choice. "We follow Haldir to the Great City. There we will find rest and medicine for those who need it."

"Are you sure this is wise, Aragorn?" Boromir asked quietly. The human didnt like elves. Like most of his people, anything that wasnt human was automatically suspect.

Aragorn chuckled bitterly. "Even if I didnt, we have no choice. We are outnumbered and too exhausted to fight a company of elves. Haldir and his people mean us no harm, Boromir."

Boromir nodded and Aragorn heaved a large sigh as they began to pick up pace again. The city was a few hours journey into the trees, but it was too close to sunset to attempt the trip at the moment. He hoped his companions wouldnt take the delay as a sign of something more sinister in the elves actions. 

"It has been many years since I've seen something weigh so heavily on you, Aragorn,"Haldir said quietly as they trotted side by side.

"It has been many years since we last met, my friend," the ranger answered.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Sam swore she was going to figure out how elves managed to move so quietly.They could put a group of Special Forces to shame when it came to silent running. She'd asked Legolas after he snuck up on her one night, and his reply was because elves were more intune with nature than other creatures, allowing them to move among it with little or no disturbance, much the same way the hobbits could plod along happily but seem to barely disturb the grass they walked on. Still, it had to be something that could be learned, because Aragorn managed the feat just fine.

Then again, he'd had over eighty years to perfect it.

She cursed when a tree root decided to get in her way. They were running again, trying to keep up with their 'escort', who she knew was probably going about a third of their usual pace. The major was on her way to having a personal meeting with the ground when a hand reached out and steadied her.

"Careful young one."

Sam cringed. The woman looked younger than she did, and was probably a whole lot older. Some people just had all the luck. 

Just when she was wondering if Teal'c could carry her when she passed out, they stopped. It was then that she noticed that it was almost sunset. A shrill bird cry cut through the air, and was answered by another. A rope was dropped down from the tree closest to them, and she watched as the elves scrambled up it one by one without difficulty. Where they went was anyones guess.

"Please, lady," Haldir held the rope out to her, and she took it. Once she found a good grip and was still trying to find the strength to pull herself up, she felt a yank. The rope was pulled up so fast everything became a blur, and when it stopped she looked down. She had to be at least thirty feet above the ground.

"Wow," she whispered, taking the hand that was reaching out from the surrounding leaves. Another pull, and she found herself standing on a platform that twined around the trunk of the tree. Now that she was at their level she could see several other platforms, all attached by thick ropes.

One by one the rest of their companions were hoisted into the tree, and Sam sat down and watched, grateful for the break. Her legs and feet were on fire, and she would have sworn on a stack of bibles that someone was pouring napalm into her lungs.

"Here." 

One of the elves handed her a water skin, and Sam took it, reminding herself not to drink too fast. No sense in throwing up on some unsuspecting person walking below them. The water was cold, crisp, and eased the dry rasping in her throat. "Thank you."

The elf smiled. " I am Nera. We have been watching you since you escaped the mines. We will rest here the night. Goblins and orcs have already left Moria to track you," Sam shivered, remembering the creatures that had swarmed them, but the elf smiled kindly. "You have nothing to fear. Few of their number would be so foolish as to venture into the Wood. Those orcs who have dared are never allowed to leave."

Sam started at the vehemenance behind the word 'orc'. It was the same heated anger that she'd noted in Legolas's voice in the mines. "What are orcs, anyway?"

The elfs blue eyes clouded over. "They were elves, long ago, before the dark one took them, tortured and mutilated them until nothing remained that was good or pure. They are a ruined form of life, one that should never have existed. They hate us, their closest relatives, and do not hesitate to harm us if they are able. It is their favorite sport." He looked away. "Many of our brethren have been killed or worse by them over the centuries."

Sam was puzzled. "Why do they hate you?"

Nera frowned. "They hate that we are what we are, that our people escaped when theirs didnt. I have been told that the life of an orc is filled with pain and suffering, one that cannot be cured. Their hatred eats them alive."

"Do you hate them?"

"I have lost two brothers to orc raids in my life. But I feel more...pity than anything else."

With that, he was gone, dissapearing among the leaves.

Frodo breathed a sigh of relief when he was finally sitting on the platform. Fear had kept him moving during the long run to Lothlorien. Fear of being caught in the dark with those creatures again without Gandalf there to aid them. Now he could feel every bruise and scrape starting at the soles of his feet and ending somewhere above his head. The worst was the fire seeping from his left side where the spear had pinned him to the wall.

"Are you well, Frodo?"

He wanted to scream at the soft question from Aragorn. No, he wasnt well, and he'd never be well again. His friends were dying, and it was his fault. "I'm fine, Aragorn, just tired."

The ranger stood back for a moment, then leaned in. "I wish to see your side, Frodo."

NO NO NO NO NO! He just wants the ring for himself. The moment you're not looking he'll take it, they all will!

Frodo blinked, the thought leaving his head before he really had a chance to understand. All he knew was a burning anger had passed through him, an indignation that left him weak and shaking in its wake. "Please, Aragorn. It feels like this armor is becoming a part of me."

Three sharp elvish words later Aragorn, Legolas, and another elf were leaning over him. The outer shirt was no problem, but the pain began when Aragorn tugged at the chain mail. It felt like the man was pulling his ribs out through his skin.

"Easy, Frodo, easy," Aragorn said something to the elf, who shook his head. The ranger sighed. "I fear there is little we can do for the pain, Frodo. The elves have nothing here, and it is too dangerous to go looking for herbs while we are so close to Lothlorien's borders."

Frodo nodded and braced himself, but he screamed anyway when the mail was pulled again. He looked down at the blood seeping through the mesh and winced. Only a small section had come loose.

"What's going on?" Jack's voice cut through the pain and the hobbit sagged in relief. He would have at least another few minutes before they tried to remove the mithril again.

Quiet words were exchanged above him, and Frodo watched as Jack pulled a case out of his vest pocket. He reached inside, and pulled out a small white object about the size of one of Bilbo's thimbles.

"Frodo? I need you to listen, okay?" Jack was leaning over him now, Aragorn and Legolas standing behind him like two guardians. "I need you to drink as much water as you can. When you're done I'm going to give you something for the pain. It's gonna sting, but then you'll start feeling sleepy, so dont fight it, just let it take you to sleep, okay?"

Frodo nodded, taking the water skin he was handed and drinking his fill. He nodded to Jack, who stuck him with the thimble. He was right, it did sting, but then he started to feel like he was floating, and everything was getting further and further away. The last thing he heard before he floated away was Aragorn asking if he was all right.

"Are you crazy, Jack? Do you have any idea what an opiate could do to his system? What if he's allergic? What about his size?"

Daniel was livid, but not without good cause. Jack could have just killed this worlds only hope for survival with one quick punch of morphine.

"Relax, Danny. I didnt even push it all the way. I'm used to giving kids a punch when they need it. He'll sleep until their done workin' on him."

Daniel looked down to where Legolas and Aragorn were carefully removing Frodo's chainmail. The chinks had dug deep into his side, pulling away most of the skin as they were removed. The result was a large, sluggishly bleeding mass that looked too painful. At least he was breathing all right, which meant no broken ribs, but that didnt keep them from being bruised, but Daniel found it difficult to believe that the small hobbit had ran such a great distance without a word of complaint.

Jack leaned down and lifted one eyelid, smiling when the pupil contracted slightly in the soft light. "He'll be fine. Probably sleep through the night and then some.He needs it."

"What is that you gave him? It worked right quickly."

"Daniel?"

Daniel sighed. Just like Jack to cause the question and leave him to answer it. "Its a medicine made out of a flower on our world. Many drugs are made from it, most of which are beneficial, but can also be deadly if taken too much or too often."

Aragorn's head shot up. "This will not harm him, will it?"

"No. It takes time to build up an addiction. Taking it only for pain isnt a problem."

The ranger sighed in relief, and Daniel had to fight the urge to be offended. "We wouldnt give him anything that would harm him, Aragorn."

"I know," Aragorn sighed. "It is just that you sounded so concerned, I feared the worst."

Daniel smiled. "Dont worry. Jack has more experience with this than I do. His heart was in the right place, which usually means his head was lagging behind."

The other man laughed. "Gandalf said that of me when I was young. It took long years to curb my impatience."

"How many?"

The smile widened. "Oh, about eighty or so."

__________________________________________________________________________________________

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for reading my story. Special thanks goes out toBrummie-Babe, nefernetera, mdlee mdlee, Stephanie Hall, for braving land, sea, and email to send me reviews, and thanks to those people who wanted to but couldnt.. Thanks also to those people who've stuck with me this long. You guys are so great!!!!!

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	13. Nudist, what nudists?

Legolas enjoyed watching moonlight as it glinted off leaves, the almost liquid silver flashing against emerald green. The moon had just risen, a thin sliver that was still waxing, surrounded by is diamond like stars. Over a fortnight had passed since their journey began, over twenty days of walking steadily east, of hiding in the shadows like thieves and fighting for their lives. All to destroy something the size of a bauble.

A bauble that was currently hiding beneath Frodo's clothes. At times he found himself shrinking from the hobbit, fighting something that was a cruel mix of sickness and fear, unable to understand how Frodo could stand having it against his skin. The One Ring. A power that could destroy everything if it fell into the hands of Sauron. A ring that was currently posessed by one small halfling who had barely set foot outside the Shire before the whole mess began. One member of a race most didnt even know existed held the fate of their world in his hands.

Fate was not without a sense of irony.

"Do you not require sleep, Legolas?"

The elf looked up at the soft words, coming face to face with Teal'c. "Elves require less sleep than humans, my friend. And what of you? I have yet to see you lie down and dream."

"I require time to meditate to repair my health. My symbiote heals those things that need it."

Legolas nodded, looking at the humans stomach. He'd seen the marks only twice, when they had time to stop and bathe. The large X had appeared painful, but after several inqiries by the hobbits Teal'c had confessed that he felt no pain, that the opening was the home of a creature that lived off of him while giving him life. "Your symbiote is a most useful tool. Why do your friends not carry one?"

Teal'c's face darkened. "I would not desire for anyone I know to carry a symbiote. It is at first most painful, and is above all else a reminder of my dependence on a false god."

"Then why not remove it?"

"Without it, I would soon sicken and die. My body cannot heal itself. The doctors of earth would call it an immune deficiency," Teal'c turned, looking to where the companions were huddled against the chill night air. " I think I will try to rest normally and allow the symbiote to heal me without further exertion. Perhaps you should try to as well."

Legolas nodded before turning back to the night. The platform they were on was empty of any Lorien elves, but he could sense them nearby in the neighboring trees. Silent sentinels so they could sleep feeling secure.

Legolas looked up at the sharp sound of metal hitting metal. Something was coming, about twenty somethings, all with the heavy feet of orcs. A quick glance at Haldir was all he got before the other elf dissapeared with some of his companions, sliding silently into the night.

"What is happening, Legolas?"

The elf turned at Aragorn's voice, staring into the dark distance where he could almost make out moving shapes. " A patrol of orcs less than a quater mile to the west. They carry no torches in the hope of suprising anyone they come across."

Legolas looked to Frodo, who was still sleeping from the drug O'Neill had given him. The bulky proof of a bandage seperated his shape from that of his fellow hobbits. "They follow a blood trail, Aragorn. We traveled up river for a mile before finding land again."

The human turned swiftly. "They cannot find us here. Death comes on swift wings for those the forest doesnt wish to enter."

" Still, it is hard to sit here and do nothing," Legolas answered, one slender finger tapping his thigh. "Haldir and his men are on their way to ambush the orcs, while we sit here passing the time with nothing."

As if to reassure the elf that there was nothing to fear, something moved past them, floating like gossamer wings for the barest of instants before moving on. His sharp eyes could pick out the slight distortion in the air before it left.

"One of the guardians," Aragorn breathed. "Their touch can be deadly as well as comforting. Now are your worries assauged."

The elf nodded. "We have lived too long on a knifes edge to simply relax, my friend, and not fear falling into the abyss."

Aragorn chuckled. "You always were hotheaded."

The elf sighed. "Something that had taken me centuries to curb, though not completely."

"Legolas, Aragorn, you should be resting," the two started as another elf walked to them. "You have need of it."

Both of them nodded, but remained standing. "We will in a moment, Gilain."

Aragorn watched the elf walk away. "What do you think will happen now, Legolas?" his gaze shifted to the trees surrounding them. " Never have I had to lead, and now I find myself in command of the fate of our world."

Legolas stared at his friend. He'd known the man for most of the humans life, when he was little more than one of Elrond's foundlings. A sober, human child who was entrusted to the elf lord by his mother. He'd watched him grow for a small boy into a man of uncompromising loyalty and strength of character, but never had those qualities been tested as they were now. "I believe that we have the one person in this world who can lead us Aragorn. I believe that you will do your duty until the time comes when you are no longer needed. I have never seen you fail in any task you were given, Ellesar, and I doubt you're willing to begin now."

The ranger nodded. " I do not like holding the lives of others, my friend. Even if those lives are given willingly," he looked to where their group was huddled. " Have you noticed nothing strange about our companions?"

The elf fingered his bow, keeping the weapon balanced on its end. "You speak of Boromir? I felt I was being overprotective of our young charge."

Aragorn shook his head. "No. He watches Frodo like a wolf hunting down its prey. I fear the Ring will take him, if it hasnt already. A man can only resist its call for so long."

"Is that what you fear then, my friend, that you will follow the path of Isildur?"

"His blood is in my veins, Legolas."

The elf took a deep breath, moving until he stood in front of his friend. "One thing that you learn when you have lived as long as I is that everyone follows a different path. No matter the blood in your veins, you're fate is unique. No one can say what the morrow will bring."

Aragorn smiled. " Arwen told me the same thing at Rivendell."

"Of course she would. All elves are wise, didnt you know?"

Aragorn gave a bark of laughter at the flippant remark. "I suppose I should know this by now, shouldnt I?"

"Yes, you should."

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Jack smiled as Charlie came out of the house, graduation robe already on but unbuttoned, his suit visible in the gap. Thank God he'd talked the boy out of streaking at the graduation. He'd wanted to kill Sarah when she blurted that little fact out over dinner weeks ago. Charlie had been obsessing over doing the same ever since.

"See, Dad, fully clothed and ready to pass inspection," his son gave a sharp salute, knocking his heels together even as he laughed at his old man with his eyes.

Jack put on an expression of mock severity, examining his boy head to toe. It still surprised him that little Charlie was as tall as he was. An inch or two taller, if he was perfectly honest. "All right, soldier. ATTEN HUT!"

"Jack, come on now. His friends'll be here any minute."

Jack sighed. "Alright, Sarah. At ease, soldier."

The command was too much for Charlie, and he doubled over, laughing. Jack joined him before walking over. "You still gonna join us for dinner tonight? I hear Mom got a great caterer, and I might have talked her into getting several bottles of champagne. Just for the adults, you know."

Some of the laughter left his son. "But James's having a graduation party at his house-"

"Dont worry. That party doest start until eight, right? Well, dinner starts at five. Stay for three or four hours, drink champagne with your folks, let the old geezers give you money, then you can go out. Three o'clock curfew. No questions, no argument. Got it?"

Charlie smiled again. "Thanks Dad. I promise I wont do anything you wouldnt do."

"Dont do anything I would either."

"Course not. You still plannin' on wearing your dress blues? Let everyone know whose dad is pushing general in the Air Force."

"Yeah right, the dress blues are the nicest clothing I have."

The sound of a car honking got their attention. "That's James. See ya in a half hour."

Jack grabbed his son and pulled him into a hug. "I'm proud of you, you know that, right?"

"Cant help it," Charlie broke away when the horn honked again, running down the lawn. He stopped halfway. "Oh yeah, here's your lucky ring back."

Jack caught the circlet in midair, turning it over in his hand. It was heavy gold, almost like a wedding ring. He looked closer, and could just see the strange engravings on the outside, twisting around like snakes...

Jack sat up, breathing hard. Next to him Frodo grumbled at the sudden movement before falling back asleep. 

The colonel looked around. He wasnt at home. He wasnt about to see his son graduate from highschool. He was in Middle Earth, helping to escort the worlds only hope into what could be considered hell. He and Sarah were still divorced.

And Charlie was still gone.

A glint caught Jack's attention, and he found it. The ring was outside Frodo's shirt, glinting each time the small hobbit breathed. Gandalf had explained the power of the ring to them. It held the power of a god, or at least a good part of it. It could let one man take over an entire world if he knew how to use it. It could change the past, the present, let someone catch small glimpses of the future.

It could change the past.

He could go back, keep Charlie from getting his gun. He could make the last four years dissapear, all he had to do was get it. Frodo was small, and with his training, no one could hear a sound until it was too late-

Jack wrenched his hand away from where it was hovering over Frodo's mouth. What the hell was he thinking? He stood clumsily, shivering as the icy air hit his overheated skin. he had to get away from Frodo, had to clear his head. He walked to the other end of the platform, taking slow, deep breaths, and looked back. The ring was nowhere in sight.

"Damn damn damn," he muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. They had been warned against the ring, against its tempting them. He'd laughed at first. It was a piece of gold, that's all. How could it tempt anyone? Now he knew. It showed you what you wanted, gave you a glimpse of it, then tore you away, until you were willing to do anything to get it back. "You're not getting me, you son of a bitch." In his head he went over everything Carter had been telling him about the ring. As far as she could tell there was no naquadah in the ring, nothing that would link it to any technology they knew the Goa'uld had. And she was pretty sure the mithril Gimli kept going on about was trinium...

"Jack?"

O'Neill jumped. When did Gimli learn to walk so quietly? "Yeah shorty?" He could almost feel Gimli's temperature rising. Truth be told, he had a nickname for all of their companions, though he doubted the dwarf or hobbits would appreciate the humor behind calling them Happy, Dopey, Grumpy, and Bashful. "Sorry, I couldnt resist."

"One day I wont be able to resist hitting you with the broad side of my axe."

Jack laughed, rubbing his head. "Bring it on, Gimli. I'll be ready." While he was still contemplating whether to move or not Gimli swung and caught Jack in the shins. The colonel blinked, wondering why he never noticed how nice the stars were this time of night. " You weren't supposed to try it yet."

The dwarf chortled. "Now, later, the result would have been the same."

"Yeah, yeah," Jack sat up, feeling the back of his head. " Why are you up?"

"Why are you?" the dwarf gave the man a once over. "No wounds, no shouts of warning. What does it take to wake a military man of your people when he can finally rest easy?"

Bad dreams. " Just couldnt sleep, Gimli, thats all."

"Like Boromir?"

Jack perked up, darting a glance at the human. In the dim light he could see the frown on the mans face before he rolled over. "Guess so. And you?"

Gimli looked around the platform. "I've been waiting for that silly elf to set himself down for the night. Someone has to look out for him, he certainly doesnt look out for himself."

Jack could imagine the sparks that would fly if Legolas heard that remark. "He's probably off doing elf stuff with the other elves. He'll be all right." A movement among the trees caught his attention. "See, thats probably him now."

As the two watched an elf came into view. He looked back and nodded at someone unseen, then ran across one of the ropes that attached the platforms, dissappearing into another tree. 

The dwarf nodded, then turned, heading back to his small pallet. "Its a few hours to sunrise. You should try spending them in sleep."

Jack shook his head. "Yeah, wouldnt that be nice," he said to himself.

________________________________________________________________________________________

Daniel was tired. Really, really tired. The kind of tired that makes you want to drop where you fall and pull a Rumplestilskin. Last night hadnt been nearly long enough. He kept dreaming about Gandalf, about being close enough to feel the heat of his hand. But before he could reach out and save him, the old wizard fell, and kept falling. A small part of him wondered if the man was still falling.

To his relief, he wasnt the only one lagging behind. Frodo was too, but then again, he needed medical attention. Merry was busy trying to catch Pips attention while the hobbit moved along listlessly. Even Gimli and Boromir had lost their second wind. To accomadate, the elves leading them walked, albeit fast, but anything was better than yesterdays grueling pace. His lungs still burned if he breathed in too deep.

It was another days walk into the forest before they came upon the city, and Daniel couldnt believe his eyes. Fairy tales told of elves who lived in trees, but no amount of description could prepare someone for the actual sight. Stairs wound up all the trees in sight, looking like crystal shavings clinging to the bark. The city overhead glowed blue and silver, and he could make out shapes walking above them, but little else. The attention to detail that made Rivendell so captivating was here also, but it seemed more natural, and far more delicate.

"The lady wishes to see you all as soon as possible, so your wounds will be dressed after your audience," Haldir informed them as they walked up one of the staircases. " It will not be long, and you will have all the time you need to recover." As if to punctuate the fact that they needed a serious break Jack coughed. Hacked, actually. "There are places to rest along the way. Once we are high enough, a lift will carry us to the audience chamber."

On the way Daniel discovered why he was sure there were no fat elves. No one could get overweight climbing flights of stairs daily. As they traveled elves passed them, sprinting upward like marathon runners, not even breathing hard. By the time they reached the first resting place all the muscles in his legs were protesting, some of them he didnt even know he had.

"At the next station we will take the lift," Daniel could have kissed the grave elf for that piece of news. The only thing he didnt tell them was that the distance between rest stops was equal. On the way they passed houses, full houses balanced among the branches. He laughed to himself. Reality beat fiction any day.

"I think we're about twenty stories up," Daniel weezed when they finally stopped. The platform shook, then began steadily moving further upwards.

Haldir was amused. "We have only climbed half the height of the Great Tree. The Chamber is at the crown."

"You know, you might wanna extend the elevator to the bottom, for us poor, out of shape humans," Jack muttered, rubbing his knee. " Guess you dont know what a ACL problem is."

Daniel stiffled a laugh, then turned his attention to the architecture. The buildings were exquisite, delicately etched into and out of the surrounding leaves and branches. He doubted a piece of foliage had been damaged making them. 

"The city was designed to grow with the trees, Daniel Jackson," Aragorn whispered. "They have the time and the care to live with their surroundings, instead of trampling them down."

"Its beautiful. I've been trying to compare it to something on earth. The closest I've been able to come up with is some of the tribes in a place called South America. The natives there live in trees to avoid annual flooding from the rivers. But its nothing like this. This is exquisite."

"Elves strive to blend into their surroundings, whatever those may be," This came from Legolas. "My own people live underground, but you would be hardpressed to think so if you ever stood in the halls of Mirkwood. The elves of Rivendell prefer the grounds of their valley. But I must admit, this is the most beautiful place."

"I'm sure the lord and lady would thank you for your honesty, Legolas of Mirkwood," Haldir interrupted. "This place is as close to the Undying Lands as one can get in the East."

On those words the lift stopped, and Daniel found himself looking at a broad platform. More stairs led even higher, but unlike the ones of the night before, this one was covered with carvings. The branches overhead formed a natural ceilling, and everything shined with the same silver light, making him wonder if that was the actual color of the trees.

It wasnt until Haldir bowed that Danny noticed the pair walking down the stairs. Both were blond, impossibly tall and slender. It was the woman that caught his attention, though. She was the one in command, it shone through in her appearance, and the sense of power she exuded, a power that was almost tangible. She looked over the group, and he felt something like ice wash over him for a moment. He felt she knew all of his secrets, even the ones he didnt want to admit to himself.

"Twelve are here, yet thirteen set out from Rivendell. Where is Gandalf, that I may speak with him?"

No one spoke, and he fought the urge to look at his feet. Though the man spoke, it was the woman, 'queen' he corrected himself, that looked to each of them for an answer.

"He has fallen into shadow," the words were quiet, but he knew each and every one of them felt it. There was a sadness in her eyes, a sadness that he didnt think she could project.

"The fellowship stands on the edge of a knife," the change in her voice startled him. From sad to iron in 1.2 seconds flat. "Stray but a little, and it will fail. To the ruin of all." Her eyes raked all of them. "But hope remains, while the company is true."

The rest of her words started to fade, and Daniel wondered if he was about to pass out. Then the elf queen glanced at him, her eyes blue and cold.

Welcome to my home, traveler.

By the time Daniel recovered from the voice that rang in his head he was being led back to the platform.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Sam sighed in relief as she sunk into a hot spring, the steaming water coming up to her neck. It was almost too hot, but she could feel the tightness of her sore muscles receeding. Another hour and she might be able to walk on her own.

She was alone in the secluded glade, though she could hear the colonel groaning. She supposed Daniel was giving him one of his world famous neck rubs. Lord knew everyone took advantage of them, including the general, even though he'd never admit it.

"Sam, you over there?"

Carter looked around, to where the spring dissapeared under a streched cloth. "I'm over here, sir," she answered. Grining to herself, she swam over to the cloth, and lifted a corner. Well, the colonel was over there, all right, along with the rest of her friends. And just like her, none of them wore clothes.

Not a stitch.

"I didnt know you had a birthmark there, sir," Sam called. The result was instantaneous.

Everyone who was near the spring jumped in, but some of them werent so lucky. Boromir had to make a break for a stack of drying cloths, diving into them head first. The only person who remained standing was Teal'c, but then again, she'd never seen him back down from a challenge. All the scrambling and running was funny, but it didnt stop her from getting a good look at everything.

And she did mean everything.

RRRRRRRrrrrrrrr.

"Sorry guys, didnt mean to peek."

"Yeah right."

"Sam!"

"Is there something you require, Major Carter?"

"Yeah, for you to sit down, Teal'c! You dont have ta flaunt it!"

"My lady, if you would please-"

"Close the curtain woman!"

Sam laughed. She was definately sharing this story when they got home. "Its not like I havent seen it all before, sir. And what I didnt Janet filled in for me."

The choked gurgle had to be the colonel.

"What was that, Colonel?"

"The sound of you and Janet cleaning latrines in your spare time for the next month!"

"Dont worry, Jack. Janet wouldnt divulge anything about us-"

She was really having too much fun. "Get a few tequila's in her, and she wont shut up. Try this one on for size. Jazzercise accident. Someone's groin had a close and personal meeting with a womans-"

"SAM!"

"Daniel, I didnt know you had it in you," she could hear the colonel chortling.

"I'm sure this conversation would be best saved for another time. Please, major Carter, if you would lower the blind so that we may continue to bathe."

"Please?"

What was a woman to do? She had a hobbit and a ranger asking her nicely to be nice. And they were both cute too. Sometimes life just wasnt fun. "Sure." The sigh of relief was audible on the other side, and Sam buried her face in a rock so she could indulge in a good laughing fit. After she got control of herself she sighed, sinking further into the water. Her stomach muscles were jumping from the added workout, and her lungs were definitely voicing their opinion on the whole matter, but it had been worth it.

She just wished she'd had a camera.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

"I think we've found it George."

General Hammond released a sigh that had been building for the better part of a month."What've you got, Jacob."

It was Selmac who spoke. "We were able to contact the Asgard and consult with their available scientists on the matter. We came to the conclusion that the stargate malfunctioned while in transit. The malfunction was not caused by human error, but more likely by a celestial event occuring near the flight path of the worm whole. We studied the area and came up with this. The lights, if you please," Selmac placed a small triangle on the table, and suddenly the room burst into color. When the whirling settled, they were sitting in a three dimensional replica of space.

"Amazing," Sgt Yerns whispered.

" This is the flight path of the wormwhole connecting to PJH-980," A blue tube appeared, and as they watched it spread, twisting until it reached the planet. "The stargate path is not a direct one. Matter is shifted through subtunnels and several connections points before it reaches final destination. One of these connection points is here," he pointed close to a large star. "This is Rebba. at the time SG1 was sent to PJH-980 Rebba was entering the final stages of implosion."

As they watched the star tripled in size, then shrank into a pinpoint, dissapearing. The general noticed the matter in the area started to look like it was being pulled. "A black hole?"

"Yes," Selmac pressed a button on the device, and it zeroed in on the area in question. "The wormhole was knocked out of its flight path, the set back askew once the gravitation became strong enough to do so. Normally, a DHD would compensate for something of this magnitude, and redirect the travelers to another subroute. If one is unavailable a safety mechanism will trigger, and the stargate will feed the matter signatures back, reintergrating SG1 in the SGC. Since the SGC is without an operational DHD, this didnt happen."

"So they were dumped somewhere in space, at this broken connection," The general kept his voice steady, but he was dying inside. He'd sent his people to their graves on the other side of the galaxy.

"No, George, they werent," Jacob answered. "Something else happened, something that hasnt happened as far as the Tok'ra are concerned, and that the Asgard've only seen a handful of times but were unable to study. Now, the event horizon changed color, going from blue to purple. Purple means that the subspace field around the gate has shifted. It changed back, but your instruments showed that the travlers were still in route, and landed on PJH-980."

"Thats right."

"That's because they did and they didnt, George. The energy patterns we examined after they hit the connection at Rebba show them to be phantom signatures. The real ones doubled back on the flight path and came home. The only question is, which home."

When all he got was a blank stare, Jacob sighed. " I know, I was goin crosseyed when Selmac was runnin me through it, but it makes sense. You tracked them, but you tracking sensor ghosts, and you were tracking them through a different reality. Kind of like an accidental quantum mirror. When the wormhole shifted it changed color to indicate a malfunctionl, but it corrected itself. It skipped the track, so it latched on to another one." he looked at Patterson. "That's why the information was garbled on this end, you werent expecting something to come back through."

Lt Patterson spoke up. "That would explain why the energy readings topped off for about a 16th of a second, sir. Thats probably when the wormhole realigned itself. If the subspace field modulation is the same in this other reality, then the color would shift back. Since the shift occured when they were away from home, they would be sent back, just not to us."

George looked around the table. "So can we use the quantum mirror to find them?"

Jacob let Selmac explain further. " The quantum mirror can only contact those realities functioning on the same energy wavelength, allowing the subspace field around it to get a lock on a new location. The field the stargate creates is different. The Asgard are still analyzing the data in the hopes of creating a machine that can duplicate the exact conditions of the accident. If they can, you might be able to find them. But you must be prepared for the worst. They could have landed in a hostile reality."

The general nodded. "Do the Asgard have an estimate on how long it will take?"

Jacob shook his head. " This phenomena is extremly rare, General. They are literally looking at something no one has seen before."

George fought the urge to curse. If only he had a nickel for everytime he'd heard that particular expression. Sometimes he thought the universe at large was blind.

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for taking the time to read this. Sorry, no shout outs this time, no one reviewed fast enough to make it. They will return on the next chapter!!!!!

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE leave a donation in the feedback box on your way out!!!!!


	14. Afterthoughts

"Your Samantha has an interesting sense of humor, Colonel,"Gimli muttered as he pulled on his britches.  


"Doesn't she, though," Jack answered, pulling his shirt on.  


Boromir snorted. "You act as if this is a normal occurrence for you."  


" Where we work we only have one full...bathing hall. Accidents happen."  


"Yeah, usually with a camera," Daniel put in, shuddering.   


Seven months ago an unofficial war had begun between the male and female on base, starting with one Ferretti and his camcorder. Apparently, he'd "forgotten" to turn the camera off while it was in his locker. The result was a grainy strip-tease given by an unknowing Lt Florez. Instead of reporting the incident, Florez decided to return the favor, and thus the war had begun. Twice, the neutral archeologist had been caught with his pants down... and thankfully with his shorts up. It finally took an enraged Janet and very pissed of General to bring the fighting to a halt : after the general himself became the victim of a mistimed attack and Cassandra had a narrow escape.   


"The contraption you were fiddling with in Rivendell?" Legolas asked.  


At the elven refuge Daniel had used several rolls of film, trying to create as detailed a picture as possible of the elven home and the surrounding area, not to mention the elves that lived there. "Yeah. Lot of good it does me now. Everything but two rolls are in my pack... in Moria."  


The mention of the mines dropped a pall over the group. "Come," Aragorn said, placing a comforting hand on Frodo's shoulder. "Food and rest awaits us. Tonight we sleep easy."  


The group filed out, and Daniel found his mind wandering again. The bathing pools, for lack of a better phrase, were separated from the rest of the city. He had the distinct feeling that he wouldn't even have known that it was there if they hadn't walked through it first. He was examining the structures of the stairways again, straining to make out the buildings that spiraled into the trees, taking mental snap shots to examine later, filing them under 'Elven: subclass Silvan' as he had filed the information about Khazad-dum under "dwarvish". More than anything he wanted to climb the staircases and run his hands over the designs, or to examine an artifact of these people, something that would probably be several thousand years old but look as if it had just been created.  


"See that? I've been trying to figure out for years how he does that."  


Daniel blinked as Jack's voice cut through his concentration. The group had stopped, and he'd stopped with them. What he hadn't known was that everyone was staring at him, Jack with his usual impatience and the others with varying levels of curiosity. "Sorry."  


Jack shook his head. "Yeah right. Catalogue every building and tree we've passed there, Danny boy?"  


"Not really."  


Aragorn walked up to him. "Jack says that you could find your way back to the bathing pools without being shown. Is this true?"  


The group watched as Daniel's face went blank. In his head he was plotting a course back through what he'd seen, everything showing itself in vivid color and dimension. "Sure."  


Gimli snorted and Aragorn watched him for a moment before nodding and walking over to what appeared to be several pillows. Daniel looked around and realized that they were standing in the middle of a campsite, their campsite, by the look of it. The grass was springy beneath his feet, and he smiled as he saw a table laden with steaming food and drink. Hospitality was something the elves were definitely not short on.  
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''  
  
A Olorin i yaresse  
Mentaner i Numeherui...  


Boromir looked up when he heard the voice on the air. It seemed to come from all around them, echoing sorrowfully off the trees.   


In gwidh ristennin, i fae narchannen  
I lach Anor ed ardhon gwannen...  


" A lament to Gandalf," Legolas whispered, almost to himself, his eyes searching out the singer.  


Merry shifted next to him. "What are they saying?"  


The elf lowered his head. "I have not the heart to tell you. For me the grief is still too near."  


The human snorted to himself, and was about to rise when he heard Samantha's soft voice translating.  


"Olorin who once was, sent by the Lords of the West...The bonds cut, the spirit broken... The flame of Arnor has left this world..."  


She kept translating, but he was no longer listening. He let his feet take him where he will, and soon found himself sitting near a small pool, a short distance away from the others. He felt their eyes on him, but he refused to meet them. 

For now, he needed to be alone with his thoughts.  


You will betray them  


The words cut through his soul, words that he felt were inescapable.   


Your fear makes you weak. There is hope, if only you will see it.  


Boromir shook his head. What hope? His father was slipping slowly into madness, secreting himself away for longer and longer periods of time, ignoring the day to day duties of running the city. His brother was little more than a ranger himself, better suited for the wilds than for running Minas Tirith. He himself was too hot-headed to hope to keep the warring families and guilds in line without creating dangerous enemies, and he himself was little more than a soldier. Give him a thousand men to lead into the breach and he could do so without a problem. But a whole city, thousands of innocents, depending on his decisions? The thought terrified him.  


And each day a little more of their lands were consumed by Mordor's evil. Fields failed to yield harvests, farms were destroyed by marauding orcs and goblins. He had ridden through the smoking remains of small villages, the bodies of men, women, and children mutilated and left to rot. His people were dying, slowly and painfully, while the rest of their world sat back and watched, no doubt eager to glean what little would be left after the White City finally fell to ruin.  
And he was marching steadily forward to destroy the one hope he might have of saving his people.  


He recalled the one time the ring had been in his possession. One small moment, one small trinket. If given a chance he could control it. He had no fear of its power, except in the hands of the Dark Lord. He could use it to drive out the darkness in his lands, destroy Mordor. Never would another one of his people be sacrificed.  
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''  
  
Pippin was awake well into the night, listening to the soft, and not so soft, sounds of his companions while they slept. Even Boromir, who had looked so disturbed hours before, had fallen into an exhausted sleep. For a moment he wondered if it had anything to do with exhaustion and everything to do with the small pouch Aragorn had upended into his cup when the other man wasn't looking. But for Peregrine Took, there was no rest coming. This wasn't to say that he wasn't tired, far from it. At the moment he wanted nothing more than to slip into a deep sleep and never wake up again.  


At the moment he didn't think anyone would object if he did.   


"Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!"  


Gandalf's last words to him before everything had gone so wrong. He should have known better. He did know better, his curiosity had just gotten the better of him. How was he to know the whole damned thing would decide to tip over and fall down the well. What kind of fool would put a well shaft someplace where there wasn't any water, anyway? 

Even he knew better.  


With quick hands the small hobbit wiped away the angry tears that threatened to escape from his eyes. In the beginning it had been a fine adventure. He'd never been outside the Shire before, and then he'd been in Bree, and faster than he could remember traveling he was sitting in Rivendell happy as you please talking to elves. Of course when the Riders had been chasing them, and Frodo got hurt so badly it had been frightening, but he'd gotten better, and since then they'd seen neither hide nor hair of the Ringwraiths. He supposed they were better equipped to fight scared hobbits rather than trained warriors. Still.  


He never thought any of them would die.  


All of them had been watching him and Frodo, making sure they were all right. Watching him with expressions of frustration mixed with pity. Frodo hadn't spoken to him since. Hadn't spoken to anyone really, or looked at them for more than a moment. Their journey had quelled the friendliness and laughter in all of them, especially him.   


"It wasn't your fault," Jack's words echoed through his head. "Gandalf made the choice to stay behind." It was all they had to say to him. That he didn't kill Gandalf, that the wizard choose to face the Balroq.  


Still, if he hadn't touched anything, the wizard would never have been forced to make that choice. Three days they'd been traveling through the dark, none of the orcs or goblins or balroqs or trolls any the wiser, then he'd had to let them know people were in the mines.  


It wasn't just that they were on the road, either. At home he was always getting into some form of trouble or another. 

His mother always said he never used the good sense he was given at birth. She once told him that when he died, they'd find a box in the back of his closet, covered with dust and cobwebs and labeled 'Common Sense: Property of Peregrine Took'. The only person who still talked to him as if nothing had happened was Merry, but then, nothing he did seemed to phase his cousin. He remembered when he'd tried to jump off the roof of Brandyhall to see if he could fly. Merry had tried to stop him, and ended up with a broken leg for his troubles.  


Pip sighed and rolled over to he was facing the tree they were currently sleeping under. He just hoped he didn't get anyone else killed.  
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''  
  
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU For reading my crap. Extra special frosted covered thanks goes out to nefernetera, Amy C Harriet, watershadow, Francis Holland, PoOntZ, Shanna, Celeste, carmsfic, Eris, Kits, Krissy, and Jacquline Benito for the great reviews!!!!!!!  
  
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	15. Still Waters Run Deep

"I think you should get this checked out, Carter."  


Sam looked down at the deep scratch that ran the length of her arm from wrist to elbow. A  
little deeper, and she probably would have died from blood-loss, she thought. The night before she'd  
taken an iodine swab and run it over the wound. It hadn't looked bad, just deep, and she'd taken a  
strip and bound it tight. Now, in the light of the sun, she could make out the scarlet lines branching  
out from it, and the blackish-green of the edges.  


A few moments before several elves had descended upon them, carrying bowls and bottles  
and baskets containing God knew what else. The procession was lead by an elf unlike any she had  
seen before. Most of the elves so far had hair that ran in varying shades of gold or brown, staying  
close to the extremes of each. Olavon had bright red hair, the kind that on Earth could only be  
achieved by lots of dye. His thick brows were the same color, a strange contrast to the pale skin. As  
if to further set him apart from his fellows, he stood taller than the elves around him, most of whom  
were women. After bowing to them, he'd moved swiftly to Frodo, two women following him. The  
other had broken up as well, moving among them.  


Sam hung her head, but got up anyway. If they'd been in the infirmary, Janet would have  
insisted on stitches...lots of them. It was something that everyone at the mountain dreaded since  
Major Spaniels had transferred. None of the other nurses could do it so quickly or easily.  


They wouldn't give you a lollipop afterwards, either.  


"My Lady," Gimli stepped away, letting her cut ahead. Teal'c was just finishing assuring the  
'nurses' that he was fine when one of them turned and saw the cut.  


"Dewen," she called, catching the attention of a healer standing near Frodo.  


A woman turned and started over, taking Sam's arm with sure hand. " She should have been  
treated last night," she admonished, reaching for supplies.  


"I didn't think it was that bad," Carter explained. To be completely honest, she had been   
more concerned about the numbness that had taken over two of her toes  


Sam tensed as the elf began tipping a crystal bottle over her arm, where one of the deeper  
scratches was beginning to redden and swell. Legolas has warned her that while elven healing was  
perhaps the best to be received, it could also be painful. The first splash of the amber liquid was  
unbelievably cold, and traveled up her arm as if it had entered a vein. Just as the sensation began  
numbing the area Dewen picked up another bottle, this one ice-blue. She tensed again as the new  
liquid began warming the frozen skin. It was then that Sam experienced first hand what he'd warned  
her about.  


She might as well have saved herself the effort of tensing.  


It felt like she'd been stabbed with a red hot poker along the length of the cut, then  
shot up her arm, pooling in her shoulder and finger tips.   


I am NOT going to scream, she chanted to herself as Calofan spread a thick poultice on the  
wound and bound it with red leaves. Still, a strangled squeak escaped her before she got her lips  
under control.  


" Twenty bucks says she decks her, right there."  


Shut up, Colonel, she thought in his direction, though she really did have the urge to hit the  
elf, who was watching her with pale green eyes. A small part of her wondered at the pure color  
before the rest of her reminded it that they were experiencing pain and it had better well pay  
attention.  


Finally, the pain began to subside, and she forced her muscles to relax. No sense in  
destroying what little ability in them she had after the past days. Then the pain was gone, replaced  
by a dull warm throb.  


"The dressing should remain on until nightfall," Dewen instructed. "You may bathe with it  
on, for the dressing will hold. Are you injured anywhere else?"   


"Uh, no, thank you," she looked down, examining the bandage. "You dont think you could  
explain what this is, do you?"  


Dewen smiled. "I would be more than happy to, but it will have to wait until later today. Ask  
anyone, and they will find me." Then she was gone.  


"So, how much money do you owe me now?"  


"Shut up, Daniel. You all right?"  


Sam looked up at the colonel. "Fine, sir. Never felt better."  


Jack nodded. "Good, because you've smelled better, believe me."  


She glowered at him. " It is my duty to inform the colonel that he has as well, far better, if  
memory serves. And I wanted to ask about that birthmark. How did it get into a perfect-"  


"Carter," he interrupted, lifting his shirt so his back could be examined. Last night his back  
had been a rosy pink. Now more than half of it was varying shades of purple, black and green. "Hey,  
watch it," he grumbled as the bruises were prodded.  


"It seems your colonel is a bad patient," Aragorn observed as the colonel made several more  
exclamations.  


Samantha shook her head. "It's when he's quiet that you need to worry about him. Right now  
he's probably not even really feeling half of what she's doing."  


Aragorn nodded before turning his attention to Sam, whose blush was getting darker and  
darker as he was examined. "We were lucky our wounds extended little beyond scrapes and  
bruises," he looked at her bandage. "I must ask you to alert one of us if you are so wounded again.  
Even a scratch from one of those creatures could be deadly if not treated immediately."  


Sam nodded. "How's Frodo?"  


"Recovering, though it may be a week or more before we can travel again. His wounds were  
more grievous than they first appeared."  


Sam tried not to look relieved. A week or more of no climbing, no running, no jumping,  
fighting, or anything else too strenuous? Heaven. Even the ranger, who she'd come to think of as  
being something near indestructible, sounded pleased.  
  
There was something to be said about clean clothes.  


One, they tended to make you feel more human. Two, they definitely improved the overall  
smell of their party. It was later that morning when Jack kicked her foot and informed her that they  
were heading to the bathing pools. Only after they extracted blood oath that she wouldn't peek again  
did they let her go. She'd found a bowl of sweet smelling soap along with a clean shirt, britches, and  
soft soled shoes sitting on a rock, waiting for her.  


Sam tossed her BDU's in a single smelly pile and looked down at herself, plucking at the tan  
material. It was light, too light, and it made her feel more than a little naked, especially since she  
was going commando. Wearing the same shirt for a week was one thing, but wearing the same  
underwear was another ball park entirely. The mere thought of wearing them for a sixth day made  
her shudder. Thankfully, one of the elfs had assured her that all her clothing would be cleaned and  
returned once they left Lorien.  


"Are you ready, Samantha?"  


Sam sighed, reminding herself not to walk to briskly, or she'd be bouncing around in there.  


"Yes, Legolas. I'm coming out."  


Sam greeted her friends with a wry smile.   


" Our clothing suits you well, Samantha. You could very easily pass for one of us," Legolas  
said, bowing slightly.  


"Thanks, Legolas, you look... elfish," she cast a glance at Daniel. How were you supposed to  
compliment an elf, anyway?  


Gimli laughed, shaking his head. "As if this overly large twig could help it!"  


"Better a twig than a stump, master dwarf."  


"Stump!" Gimli's voice thundered through the glade. "I'll have you know, elf that... come  
back here!"  


The group watched as the enraged dwarf tramped after the elf, who was walking sedately  
away from them.  


"Another week and they will be fast friends," Aragorn said, a smile creasing his usually  
solemn face. Sam was amazed at the change the expression invoked in him. He seemed years  
younger. "Or they'll end up killing each other."  


The ranger turned to her. "Legolas does not banter with those who are not his friends, nor  
does he give his friendship lightly."  


"It seems that elves seldom do," Boromir observed.  
_________________________________________________________  
  
Daniel Jackson.  


Dr. Daniel Jackson.  


Daniel shook his head before running a hand through his still damp hair. That was him, all  
right. Dr. Daniel Jackson, linguist, Egyptologist and anthropologist. Specialty in ancient  
civilizations in and around Egypt and Mesopotamia from circa 2000 BC to 234 AD. Civilian  
attaché to SG1, the flagship team of the SGC, a top military operation run out of Colorado.  


It was funny how many turns your life could take.  


As a kid he'd sneered at the military men who came to the highschools, trying to impress kids  
with their immaculate uniforms, shiny metals and tales of valor and glory. There was no way they  
were shoving him into a uniform and shipping him off to some remote outpost so he could watch  
Mighty Mouse reruns on a black and white TV. Two decades later here he was, working with the  
military, being all he could be.  


No wait, that was the army.  


Now he was on a world that was God knows where, and God knows when, for that matter,  
with little hope of going home. Eating with elves, talking with dwarves and questioning wizards.  


Yeah. Life could take some interesting turns.  


"Come on Jack, this is amazing."  


"Daniel, no."  


"Jack, what else am I gonna do with my time?"  


Jack sighed. "You're gonna to learn how to fight, hand to hand, and with a sword. We've  
already decided."  


Daniel bristled. Decided? "And who makes up this royal we?"  


"Bormir, Legolas, Gimli, Jack and I have decided, Daniel," Aragorn answered. "You no  
longer have your weapons, and it is too dangerous for someone who cannot defend himself to travel  
with us. You and the hobbits will be given lessons until we leave Lorien, and any time after that that  
we can spare to train you."  


"At least Teal'c didn't vote against me."  


"Quite the contrary, DanielJackson," the jaffa answered. " I was most pleased when I was  
told of their plan, and gave my full support."  


Daniel cast a quick glance upwards. He could escape from Jack, maybe even Gimli and  
Legolas, but Teal'c and Aragorn together? He didn't even want to think about what they'd do to him.  


"Fine. When do we start?"  


"Now."  


Daniel ducked, purely on instinct, as a fist whirred above him, right where his head had  
been. "What's the big-"  


He never got a chance to finish that sentence. A boot connected with his calves, sending him  
sprawling. Any words he might have said were cut off by the 34 inches of steel pressing against his  
Adams apple.  


"Good," Aragorn removed the blade, but kept the sword unsheathed. " You are quick,  
Daniel, and that will be to your advantage, but you must learn how to be quicker, and to keep your  
strength up with that quickness."  


As he spoke Daniel stayed flat on the ground, mentally making a checklist of all his sore  
muscles and having the sinking suspicion that the list would grow before the day was over.  


"What's wrong wit'em?" Pippins quiet question drew their attention to the arrival of the  
hobbits.  


" He is learning how to fight, just as you must, Pippin. We have a week, perhaps a little  
more, before we venture onto the open road again. The closer we come to Mordor the more danger  
we face, and you must be able to handle yourselves."  


"Frodo's in no condition to be doing these things, Strider," Sam spoke up. "He's hurt."  


"But he can learn to hold a sword properly, and how to stand," Boromir cut in. "Since I  
started training you, we will continue. Gather your weapons, little ones."  


Daniel stood up, raising an eyebrow at Sam, then turning to Jack. "And why do you get to  
escape?"  


The look of surprise on Jack's face was priceless. " Last time I checked I was the one who  
could handle himself, Danny boy. You cant even throw a knife without slicing your fingers damn  
near off. Besides, I'm getting lessons in swordsmanship too, along with Carter."  


Finally, the archeologist hung his head in seeming defeat. If the colonel had looked carefully,  
he would have noticed a gleam in Daniel's eye. Oh, he'd learn how to fight all right.  


After all, why should Teal'c be the only one to knock their colonel on his ass?  
_____________________________________________________  
  
"You want to draw the bow back to your ear and sight along the shaft. With both eyes,  
Merry."  


Legolas watched his trainees with a critical eye. It was nearing nightfall, and he could see  
that they were more than a little tired. Frodo sat a short distance away, watching his friends. He'd  
been excused early, but refused to leave them. "I'll rest when they do," was his reply to Gimli's  
question of if he wanted to lie down.  


Several of the Lorien elves were standing near by, watching with avid curiosity. Throughout  
the day small groups of them had taken to watching the group as they trained, offering advice where  
they felt it was necessary. The weapons consisted of live swords and long knives donated by the  
Lady of the Wood, and almost everyone had added a few new scratches to their already large lists.  


"I dont see why we have to do this, anyway," Merry grumbled under his breath. The  
sentiment was more than likely meant only for Pippin's ears, and Legolas smiled to himself. If only  
other peoples knew how sensitive an elf's ears were.  


"You're holding the bow wrong, Sam," he walked over to Carter. "Your forearm must be  
straight, or the target will not be true."   


He stepped behind the woman, straightening her pose. "Try to keep your head parallel to the  
ground," He tilted her head back, and let his fingers linger for the barest of instants. He felt eyes  
watching them, and quickly stepped away.  


"Fire!"  


For a moment the only sounds were the whizzing of arrows as they found their targets. Or  
tried to find them, at any rate. The elf was just relieved that there were no cries of pain following the  
thumps as the arrows struck. He ran an eye over the targets.  


It could have been worse.  


"I think they need their rest, Aragorn," Legolas called. "It has been a long day."  


" In my defense I've never tried to shoot a bow before," Sam said, gently laying his on the  
ground.  


Aragorn walked over, collecting the bows and quivers with Boromir and Gimli. "Tomorrow  
we start again."  


Legolas almost laughed at the speed at which their pupils ran from the small clearing they'd  
claimed as a practice field. "So, do you think they can make it?"  


Boromir hefted the bows. "The hobbits learn quickly with the sword. As long as they are  
serious, I see no problem."  


"As do Samantha, Daniel, and Jack," Aragorn said, stacking the quivers. " Samantha and  
Jack have some experience with short swords, so I think we will focus on those. Daniel, however..."  


"Two left feet."  


Legolas raised one eyebrow at this. "Two left feet, Gimli, is that possible?"  


The dwarf glared at him. "It is an expression I've heard O'Neill use in reference to the man.  
Mean's clumsy."  


"And Teal'c?"  


The group smiled to themselves. "Picks fighting up like he was born to it, he does," Gimli  
announced.   


Three heads nodded in assent. "It drives their colonel to distraction."  


Legolas watched his companions with a lightening heart. It was good to hear their laughter  
again, even if it was at the expense of their friends. The weight of Gandal's death was starting to ease  
for them, however slightly.   


For him it had yet to dissipate at all.  


Few creatures understood the depth of emotion that elves felt, outside of elves themselves.  
Aragorn understood, but then he had been raised among them. To creatures who were immortal time  
passed differently. Elves counted years as other races would count centuries, and each moment was  
remembered with crystal clarity. When he closed his eyes he could still see the delicate play of light  
and shadow on Gandalf's face before he fell, still hear the slip of fabric against rock as he let go. He  
should have been there to grab him. He was the fastest, the most nimble among them. He should not  
have assumed that Gandalf was indestructible.  


"Stop blaming yourself."  


Legolas looked up. Gimli and Boromir were gone, but he could hear them as they made their  
way towards camp. Aragorn was seated a short distance away, packing his pipe.  


"That is a bad habit, you know."  


The ranger looked at his pipe. "It is a calming one," deliberately, he struck a spark and  
inhaled. "Perhaps if you tried the weed you would not be so adverse to its use. But, as I was saying:  
stop blaming yourself."  


"I wasn't."  


"I know you, Legolas. You blame yourself if the sun does not shine brightly. It is the price of  
being born an elf. You feel too much, even when you try to feel nothing at all."  


"Wisdom you have no doubt learned from the Lady Arwen."  


The words were meant as a warning, but Aragorn brushed them off. "The lion shows his  
claws. I had forgotten how sharp your tongue could be."  


"Then do not forget again."  


The ranger sighed. "What is troubling you so, Legolas? I have known you most of my life,  
and I have yet to see you so distraught. And I daresay Gandalf's death is only a part of it."  
The elf looked up, to where the tree's of Lorien glowed in the growing darkness. "The strain  
of traveling with a dwarf is finally wearing me down."  


"I believe this problem's hair is more blond than red, my friend," at Legolas's silence he  
continued. " Jack assures me that she has no ties on their world."  


"I am betrothed."  


"Was betrothed."  


Legolas refused to look at his friend, instead focusing on the fairy-like lights of the city  
overhead. "It has not ended, Aragorn."  


"No, only her life has."  


Legolas picked up one of the bows and a quiver of arrows and moved as far away from the  
targets as he could. "I do not ask your council in this matter, Aragorn," almost unconsciously he let  
an arrow fly, and cursed silently. It was nowhere near the center.  


"No, you do not, which is why you require it," Aragorn set down his pipe. "Neither of you  
has the time to wait, Legolas. We could die tomorrow, or the next day. When happiness is in your  
grasp, you take hold of it with both hands. You do not dwell on what has happened."  


Legolas listened as Aragorn walked away, having said his piece, and let another arrow fly.  
This one struck true, and was followed by another before it had ceased quivering.  
______________________________________________________  
  
George Hammond watched the stargate with a heavy heart. Two months had passed since  
SG1 had gone missing, and that was all the time the government had allowed for them to return  
home. Their offices were already packed, the contents of which sorted and ready to send where they  
needed to go. They seldom lost men, a sign of the intense training and safety precautions that were  
taken before any team stepped through the event horizon. But when one was lost, he felt it keenly. A  
small part of him would always blame himself for each death, since he was responsible for the  
welfare of the men under his command. Earlier that morning was the first time he'd allowed himself  
to look at the files of their replacements, good men all.  


But they weren't SG1.  


"You all right, George?"  


Hammond turned to look at Jacob. Neither was willing to give up on their kids just yet. SG1  
had been considered lost before, died and returned more times than any of them wanted to  
remember.  


But then again, they'd never been gone for over two months before.  


"No, Jacob, I'm not. We received news from the Asgard concerning the telemetry on the  
gate."  


"And?"  


George sighed. "And according to them there is no sure way of replicating the effects. It  
could literally take years of research and recon before we found the place where SG1 was sent.  
Those are years that the government isn't willing to spend searching for four people."  
Jacob nodded. " We both knew it could come to this, George. They'll just have to find their  
own way home."  


The General closed his eyes. "I just got off the phone with Jack's mother, concerning his  
MIA status. She didn't say a word, not a single word," he mentally shook himself. " That leaves  
Sam's brothers and Bra'tac."  


"I'd put in my ear plugs if you talk to Jimmy," Jacob said, forcing a smile. His older son had  
always been hotheaded and overprotective, especially concerning his little sister. "What about  
Daniel?"  


"Jack was listed as his next of kin, followed by Kasuf."   


Jacob shook his head. Sam had once described the doctor as one of the loneliest people she'd  
ever known. "I take it the government isn't willing to keep up with Sam's house payments."  


"Janet's agreed to take care of Major Carter's things in the event her brothers cannot, but no,  
Major Carter's house goes on the market. Colonel O'Neill's mother is taking responsibility for Jack's  
place and all his personal effects. "  


"And Daniel?"  


George sighed. "Apparently, Dr. Jackson has had arrangements for some time. All of his  
things are being put into storage for two years. After that time those possessions that have value will  
be given to various museums. Any clothing will be donated to charity, and his few personal items  
that remain are to be given to Kasuf.  


And life goes on.  


George nodded, quelling a fit of ill placed laughter. It always does, doesnt it.  
__________________________________________________________________________  
  
AUTHORS NOTES  
Dare I say it? Was their a hint of a relationship budding between our two blondes? ::: Writegirl  
grins evilly and rubs hands together::: you'll just have to come back to find out, wont you? And for  
those people counting on their fingers and thinking that the time doesnt match, thats because it  
doesnt. Their in another dimension, remember? Time is relative.  
  
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for reading this. I know things are starting to  
drag out a little, but hey, thats what fanfiction if for. Special ice-cream topped thanks goes out to   
Rooni (for both reviews!), nefernetera, shanna, Eris, Doggettlover, silverkeeper, Elwen half-elven  
and J for the awesome reviews!!!   
  
Remember, leave a donation in the feedback box on your way out!!! All suggestions are taken with  
complete seriousness and consideration. Flames will be taken with Jack Daniels and grape juice.   
^_~  



	16. Into the Mirror

            Major Samantha Carter shook herself for the third time in as many minutes. It was a particular lazy day in Lothlorien. The novelty of visiting a city built entirely in trees seemed to wear off on both sides, and now the Fellowship was doing little more than drilling with weapons. At the moment Legolas was teaching Daniel how to use two short swords in concert to best dispatch the enemy.

            **Stop it, Samantha.**

            Come on, he's cute, available, and its not like we've had a lot of boyfriends lately. The last one sacrificed himself to save our world, remember?

            **He's not even human.  **

            Neither was Nerem.

            **At least his people came from earth originally.**

            And he has those pointed ears.

            **All the more reason to stay away.**

            We always wanted pointed ears.

            "NOT LIKE THAT!"

            "Carter?"

            Sam looked up and fought the urge to blush. She hated it when people caught her arguing with herself. "Yes, sir?"

            "You all right?"

            _We're fine, just falling for an elf_. **Will you stop that!** "Fine sir, just thinking out loud."

            The colonel looked like he was going to say something for a moment. " Soooo… what are you planning to do on day three in paradise?"

            "I was thinking about talking to … about the solutions they used to heal my wound," Sam looked down as if she could see through her sleeve, to where the once infected cut was healing. "The stuff is amazing, and I was hoping the elves would have a deeper understanding of their herb lore other than ' it just works'."

            "Planning on taking samples too?"

            She brushed off his sarcastic tone. "I would if we could, sir. The potential for some of the things we've seen here is astronomical."

            "And that was why you were staring at Legolas's ass for the past three minutes?"

            _Busted._

            "Sir?"

            The colonel sat down on a rock across from her. "Come on, Carter. There's nothing that low on him that could command your attention like that," he paused, then smirked. "At least not in the back."

            "I wasn't looking at his ass," she replied, slightly indignant. **Or any other part of him, thank you very much**. " I was watching his footwork. It's almost like boxing. Maybe if you paid attention you could learn something."  _Oh, low blow. Score one for Carter._

            The colonel gave her one of his 'yeah, right, and I'm the queen of Sheba' looks. "Fine. I just came by to let you know Samwise was asking after you."

            "Samwise?"

            O'Neill rolled his eyes. "You know, red-haired hobbit, kinda round, always hovering over Frodo? It gets confusing calling both of you Sam all the time."

            "Oh," Sam stood up, refusing to glance in the elf's direction.

            Frodo watched as Sam chatted with Samantha animatedly. His friend had taken an almost immediate interest in the group that had joined them, but never really had a chance to talk to them on the road. 

            _Their plotting against you cant you see just waiting until we let our guard down_

            Frodo clutched at the Ring, willing it to be quiet, to let him think. He'd had to do more of that as their journey progressed. Before, when everyone was quiet, he could almost hear it whispering, but he couldn't make out the words. At those times he felt the ring was laughing at him, teasing him. Now it seemed to want him to hear it/

            "Frodo?"

            The hobbit looked up into Samwises's concerned brown eyes. "Yes Sam?"

            The other hobbit smiled. "I thought you'd gone to sleep, you were sitting so still."

            "No, Sam. Just…thinking is all."

            Sam handed Frodo a piece of bread and a slice of what smelled like venison. "Strider said I was to make sure you ate something."

            Absently, Frodo picked at the bread, taking small bites to satisfy his friend, but not really tasting anything. That was something else he'd noticed. He couldn't taste things, not like he used to, unless he really tried. He'd first noticed at Rivendell when he'd nibbled on a piece of cheese, expecting the sharp bite of a bright orange block of cheddar. Instead it had been muted, almost to the point of tasting like nothing. 

            _I can help all you have to do is ask/beg and anything we want will be ours_

**No No NO!!!** Frodo shouted in his head, and the chatter stopped. Completely. It never did that before. Usually it only faded into background noise, like the sound of water running over stones in a brook when you were sleeping, waiting until he stopped thinking about it to grow louder and louder, like a rushing in his ears…

            "Are you all right Frodo?"

            It was Strider this time, standing over him, concerned eyes scanning him thoroughly. "I'm fine Strider, just tired."

            "You've been sitting there for almost three hours, Frodo. Do you want to lay down?" the question came from Daniel, who was standing behind the ranger, wearing a similar expression of concern.

            Frodo nodded and stood, refusing to grimace as his muscles, stiff from inactivity, protested against the sudden movement. He'd lay down for a while, and maybe when he woke up all of this would be nothing more than a dream.

            As the hobbit drifted to sleep another thought intruded on him. The thought that the ring had started calling them 'we'.

            "Teal'c?"

            The soft question interrupted the Jaffa as he slipped into keel-no-reem. At the moment he didn't need to travel in the gray lands and let his body recover, he simply wanted the solitude that the state created. He opened his eyes, and found an elf maiden, blonde like most of the elves here, sitting across from him in almost the exact same pose.

            "Is there something you require of me?"

            The elf nodded. "The Lady Galadriel wishes to speak with you. Will you follow me?"

            Teal'c nodded and stood, and followed the elf through the maze of trees. The day was wearing on, and the bluish lights that lit the forest were unlit, allowing the sunlight to burnish everything it touched.

            " She is through there," the elf said, pointing through an arch almost covered with ivy.

            Teal'c nodded and headed through the arch, and down a small stretch of stairs, which lead into a small room. The ground was mossy beneath his boots, with the sure feel of stone beneath that. The whole room was little more than stone walls covered with plant life, open from above to the sky.

            " Have you been pleased here?"

            Teal'c turned around at the soft question, and found the Lady sitting on a bench in an alcove. In the dim light she glowed slightly, a soft luminescence that silvered the ivy around her. " I find your kingdom most pleasing."

            Galadriel stood, her clothes hissing with the movement, and began walking towards the center of the room. "I am glad to hear it, jaffa."

            Teal'c didn't respond. As far as he knew, no one had called him a jaffa within Lorien. "How do you know that name?"

            " I am perhaps one of the oldest of my kind still living, Teal'c," she replied. " I have seen and known much that would be considered myth by the people of this world, even elves. That is how I know of your kind."

            " You have no need to fear me or my companions."

            Galadriel smiled, her blue eyes boring into him. " I have no fear of them, Teal'c. They can do no harm here that is not being done already."

            Teal'c wasn't convinced. "Then why have you called me here?"

            "To give you a warning," the elf's voice deepened, and the jaffa could feel the weight of her age through it.

            **_Watch the one you call leader and friend. He has been tempted, but I do not know if he will fall_**

            The voice echoed through his mind, and Teal'c fought the urge to panic. This was something he had no experience with.  " Why tell me this?"

            "Because you are perhaps the only one who can stop him. Here the ring will be quiet, as quiet as it can be, the tendrils it send to those around it clipped. Outside this realm they will begin to grow again."

            "And if he is taken?"

            Galadriel walked towards a small fountain that trickled out of the stone wall behind her. "He can be reclaimed, depending how willing he is to follow the rings will."

            Teal'c thought of his commanding officer. O'Neill refused to follow orders, even when they were to his benefit. "And how do you know this?"

            "The past, the present, and to some extent the future are realms that I am allowed to travel through, Teal'c. The future is not set, and there are many paths that may be taken, I have simply told you of one," She looked up, and seemed to be staring at something over his shoulder. "You should go now, your companions are looking for you."

            "He's pacing like a caged lion."

            Aragorn looked up at Gimli's observation concerning their friend. Since their conversation three nights ago Legolas had been impatient, pushing himself and his pupils to their limits, something of a small feat for the elf. Now that they were settled in for the night he was more restless.

            "It is probably little more than home sickness, Master Dwarf," Aragorn muttered around his pipe. "Elves seldom travel from their forests and valleys. He will calm down eventually, so you need not concern yourself."

            The dwarf scoffed. "Like I would stoop to worry over an elf!" But he went back to chewing his pipe, casting quick glances to where their companion was sharpening his knives.

            "It will do him good to be back on the open road," Boromir noted, settling down onto his sleeping palette. "It seems that leisure doesn't suit him."

            "Would you mind speaking louder? I believe perhaps half the inhabitants of Lorien who do not know you're talking about me," Legolas shot a hot glance at his friends.

            Boromir raised an eyebrow. "The concern of your friends angers you?"

            Legolas sheathed his blade and stood up, moving away from his companions without answering.

            "Well, that answers your question, Boromir," Gimli sighed, packing his pipe. "That elf needs a woman, and right quickly. That would quench the fire burning through him fast enough."

            Aragorn held his tongue, casting a last glance at Legolas as he disappeared in the tree line. A woman would not do, perhaps one, if his friend would allow his emotions a little freedom. With that thought in mind he turned to Samantha, who was talking quietly with Pip and Daniel, and who was taking obvious pains to keep from watching the elf as well.

            "Beautiful, is she not?"

            Boromir's quiet question was almost too soft to be heard. "Samantha?"

            "Who else would I be speaking of?" the human looked her way, then turned back to Aragorn. "I find it hard to believe that she would bind herself to a military life, especially with her intelligence. Lucky would be the man who she gives herself to."

            "Aye, Boromir. Lucky would be the man," the ranger agreed. _Or the elf_, he added to himself.

            Galadriel turned her attendants away as she stood in the forest house, watching as her city fell deeper into sleep. Tomorrow the companions would be leaving her shores, to continue their journey away from the protection she could lend them. 

            Closing her eyes, she searched, and found what she wanted in an instant. The blackness of the Ring was a hole in her mind, drawing her ever closer while it pushed her away. She could feel its poison spreading, fighting against the meager bonds she could wrap around it. The tentacles were weak, but still there, sliding against her barriers like snakes, trying to grab Boromir and O'Neill. She had seen Boromir fall, witnessed his betrayal in her mirror, but for the other the path wasn't nearly as clear. The mirror clouded, the images breaking into a thousand points of light, taunting her with its inconclusiveness.

            "I can feel your concern," Celeborn said, coming to stand next to his queen. "It has been so long since your were this uneasy."

            Galadriel opened her eyes, but didn't turn around. "There is still much to be done, and much to be said. But I find myself unwilling to do it." She looked in the direction of the companions, who were even now sleeping. "Every step they take draws us closer to our end. And to their own."

            Celeborn watched his queen struggle with herself. "You cannot control fate, my love. You can only see a handful of the many ends that each road can lead to," One slim finger traced the delicate ring she wore. " At times I believe your gift is a curse."

            "As do I."

            Silently, the elf made her way down to where the companions were sleeping. The closer she drew to them the more her heart pounded, her hand throbbing as Nenya cried out to its master. It was through sheer force of will that she and the other elves were able to keep their rings untainted by the evil Sauron wrought with his master ring, and the battle still raged, not as heated as it had millennia ago, but just as dangerous.

            She knew the moment Frodo awoke, the only one aware of her passing. It was almost too easy to slip into his mind and plant the idea to follow her. And he did, trailing her path through the trees to the Hall of Seeing. Gently she lifted the silver pitcher and dipped it into the fountain, the water ice cold against the heat of her hand.

            "Will you look into the mirror?" 

            "What will I see?" She could feel Frodo's fear, but there was nothing she could do to alleviate it. He watched her as if expecting her to spring at any moment.

            "Even the wisest cannot tell," she almost had to force herself to pour the water, flinching slightly as it hit the bottom of the basin, "for the mirror shows many things. Things that were, things that are, and some things that have not yet come to pass." Galadriel waited, breathless, for the hobbit to step up to the mirror. In this she could not compel him, for any action on her part would skew what would be seen.

            The moment Frodo looked into the mirror she could feel its power, and closed her eyes against a glare only she could see. In moments she was swimming in the visions the mirror gave, comparing them to her own wanderings through time. The same darkness was there, the same despair that had crowded her mind since the Ring decided to awaken. Then the moment was gone. 

            "I know what it is you saw, for it is also in my mind. It is what will come to pass if you fail," she hardened her voice to keep it from shaking.  Their two visions were almost exactly alike, a sign that didn't bode well.

            _The fellowship is breaking. It had already begun.He will try to take the ring. You know of whom I speak. One by one it will destroy them all._ She let the words drift from her mind to his. Some things were better left unsaid where any could hear. She did not know what would come of her tampering with his future, but she hoped for the best.

            _If you ask it of me, I will give you the One Ring._

            The response sounding so clear in her own mind threw Galadriel off balance, but no more so than the content of his words. "You offer it to me freely?" She glanced from his open palm to his eyes, seeing no guile there. He _wanted_ her to have it. "I will not deny that my heart has greatly desired this," she could feel her voice trembling, feel herself moving forward, hand extended to where the Ring shimmered in the dim light. A sound filled her mind, much like the rushing of water over stones. The ring was so close…

             The sudden surge of power was overwhelming.

            **_Alatáriel, lasto beth nîn… tolo a'nin…_**

            "In place of a Dark Lord you would have a queen…"

            **_Amin Linda ele lle…_**

            "…not dark but beautiful and terrible as the dawn…"

            **_Amin naa lle nai_**

            "…treacherous as the sea…"

            **_I'narr en gothrim glinuva nuin I'anor_**

            "…stronger than the foundations of the earth!"

            **_Khila amin…_**

            " All shall love me and despair."

            **_Ona e' a'amin…_**

            _N'uma._

            Somewhere in the swell of power another voice sounded, swimming through her, reminding her of what was happening. As suddenly as it had started it was over, leaving her drained. The One Ring reached out to her, but she was beyond its control. Nenya beat softly against her fingers, a warm comfort as always. The Ring had tempted her, with all the power it could muster, but still, it failed. "I passed the test. I will diminish, and go into the west, and remain Galadriel."

            "I cannot do this alone."

            The thought rose over the words he was speaking. "You are a ring bearer, Frodo. To bear a ring of power, is to be alone," it hurt to give him that cold truth on top of so many others. " This task was appointed to you, and if you do not find a way, no one will."

            "I know what I must do, its just, I'm afraid to do it," for a moment Frodo looked like a lost child, suddenly thrown into a world that he neither understood or wanted a part of.

             She leaned down, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Even the smallest person can change the course of the future. You will find your courage."

**Authors Notes:**

Sorry about the long wait between reviews, the great halls of learning beckon, and I cant resist… I'll start with the translations, since I'm sure you guys are saying 'huh?' :

Alatáriel, lasto beth nîn… tolo a'nin…  Galadriel, hear me…come to me…

Amin Linda ele lle…                               I sing to see thee…

Amin naa lle nai…                                  I am yours to command…

I'narr en gothrim glinuva nuin I'anor… The bones of our foes will gleam under the sun

Khila amin…                                         Follow me…

Ona e' a'amin…                                       Give in to me…

N'uma_… _                                                   No

Alatáriel  is an ancient form of Galadriel, closer to what the Noldor spoke than Sindarin.  AND for those of you who don't know, Galadriel was a ring bearer. She wore Nenya, the elven ring of Air, which also gave her telepathy and second sight.

            Oh My GOD, this story is getting waaaayyyy to long! I cant believe I'm actually doing this!!! I've actually gotten over 100 reviews!!!!

Extra special tiramisu thanks goes out to nefernetera, Rooni, J, dietcokechic (x2), Shanna, Kits, Conner52, Eris, Rai, Linda, Kaitland, jchild, Elwen half-elven, Alexandra, zair, Doggettlover, Neo-Queen Saturnity, Brianne, Amy C, Kain, Gallant, Chantal, menelaeriel, mabtng, Hunter, rolo-rooni, Stephanie Hall, Tower, TaffyCat3, rhona wilshaw, mdlee mdlee, Pete (x2), and anyone else whose hung on this long!!!! I love you guys!!!!!  J

And… as always… FEEDBACK!!!! Please offer your comments, likes, dislikes, suggestions, and anything else. All Reviews are placed on a shrine next to my computer for moral support. Flames will only make my muse more bitchy than she already is  J


	17. On the Road Again

            Daniel eyed the long blades he'd just been given with apprehension, imagining the disasters that would result from trying them out. He knew from experience how sharp the elven forged long-knives were; his training had been intense, and Legolas wasn't above letting a little blood prove his point.

            Speaking of elves, Daniel let his eyes wander to their tormenter. You'd think he'd never seen a bow before, the way he was staring at the thing. Daniel did admit that it looked different from the bow the elf had been using, and had beautiful etchings in the wood. 

            Still, it wasn't that great.

            The settling of a warm weight on his shoulders drew his attention back to what was happening. Wyvern was setting a cloak around his shoulders, and secured it with a pin before stepping back. When they'd been told that the Lady had gifts for them, he'd been expecting perhaps something slightly arcane, but he was proven wrong. Apparently elves were more resourceful than he imagined. Everything they had been given served some purpose, especially SG1; each of them had received a set of long-knives and vambraces. 

            It seemed like only a few moments had passed before they were heading back to the docks to leave Lorien, their boats already loaded and waiting. Sighing, he looked to the east, where the sun was just starting to peak over the top of the hills. The whole of the forest seemed to be veiled in silver mist, almost as if in mourning.

            "You do not wish to leave this place, do you, young man?"

            Daniel looked down a Gimli, who was wearing the same stupid grin that he'd been wearing since Galadriel gave him a lock of her hair. "It just always seems like I'm leaving, never going."

            The dwarf nodded solemnly, looking back to where the gift giving had taken place. "That I can understand."

            The archeologist stopped for a minute, then looked to where Gimli was still walking, and back in the direction Gimli had glanced. He knew the look that was on the dwarfs face. It was the same look he'd worn for the better part of a year on Abydos.

            Oh, man… the dwarf had it bad.

            "If he was any happier, he'd be floating," Jack half whispered, coming up next to him. 

            "Yeah, he would," Daniel tried to laugh, but it fell short. At least Gimli was happy, happier than he could recall ever seeing him in over two months of travel. Shaking himself, Daniel unsheathed one of the blades and examined it. The weapon was well worn, but taken care of, and gleamed softly in the morning light. As he ran his fingers over the elvish script that ran the length of the blade, he wondered how many battles it had seen, how many eons.

            "It reads 'I am Keth, bane of darkness,'" Haldir translated. "Its companion is Nenva, the 'Light Blade'."

            Daniel shook his head. The elves named their weapons like most people named their guns. "I wanted to thank her, but Legolas warned us against it."

            Haldir nodded appreciatively. "It is the gift giver who is saying thanks, Daniel Jackson, not the one receiving them. You would have embarrassed her."

            The archeologist tried for a moment to picture the cool elf queen embarrassed, and failed. Some things were just too impossible. 

            "Daniel, you travel with Jonathan," Aragorn said as he passed him. It was then that he noticed he was the last person standing on the bank. Shaking himself, he started towards his boat, trying to remember whether Jack knew how to kayak.

             "Good journey," Haldir called to them as they paddled away from the bank.

            _Yeah, good journey,_ Daniel thought later as the traveled further down the river. Occasionally they would see elves, either solitary or in small groups, watching them from the banks. Once he felt eyes on them and looked up to see one of them perched in a tree hanging over the river like a giant bird. _The Silverlode_, he let the words flow over him even as his mind translated _Celebrant_. It occurred to him that they hadn't even tried to speak English since they'd been given the languages of Middle Earth. Hell, he even wondered if they could still speak it. 

            Sighing, he watched the trees pass by, wishing he still had his meds. Allergies were bad enough on their Earth, but on this one they seemed to attack with a vengeance. Ever since they'd entered Lorien the headache that had been his constant companion had abated, but now it was returning. He'd wanted to ask Aragorn if he knew anything that would help, maybe an herbal solution to aspirin, but he'd decided against it. 

            "Hey, you okay Danny-boy?"

            Daniel looked back, smiling into Jack's concerned eyes. "Yeah, Jack. I'm fine."

            Aragorn worked his shoulders in small circles as Legolas secured the boats for the night. It had taken the better part of the day to wind their way down the Silverlode and reach the mouth of the Anduin, and he had no intention of forcing them to travel any further. The boats made it possible to travel leagues across country in a day, journeys that would take twice as long if they were on foot.

            Silently, he let his eyes roam over the small group. Jonathan's people were moving with the experience of long practice as always, breaking out their bedrolls while Boromir took charge of the fire. The hobbits sat to one side with Gimli. The days travel had tired them all, for their camp was quiet.

            "_Legolas, khila amin,"_ the ranger asked, moving into the trees.

             "What troubles you Aragorn?" the elf asked after they had moved away from the group.      

            "Nothing, I simply wished to talk."

            Legolas blinked. "You never simply wish to talk, Estell. Something is troubling you."

            The ranger sighed. " Our journey is taking the very life from us, that is what worries me," he scanned the tree line, hoping they were still close enough to the elven realm to prevent any disturbances.

            "It would take more than a trek cross-country to take the life from you, my friend."

            "I worry about Frodo."

            "As do we all."

            "No," Aragorn shook his head. "He is changing. The ring is working against him in earnest now. Gandalf warned me of it before he died."

            "Is this what the Lady spoke to you of?"

            Aragorn didn't answer, instead he started walking further into the woods, drawing a sigh from his friend. He'd thought no one noticed his disappearance the night before, when Galadriel has called him to have a private meeting. As always, he learned that very little escaped the notice of an elf.

            "You will find nothing in these woods that you seek, Aragorn."

            Aragorn laughed grimly. "No, but perhaps I may find something I am not." He kept walking, releasing a silent sigh of relief when he heard Legolas start back to their camp. He needed solitude, if only for a few moments. 

            _You will be her death, Aragorn_…

            He could hear Galadriel's words to him from the night before, taunting him, blending with Elrond's request that he let Arwen go. He trusted the judgment of both, for they had seen more years upon Middle Earth than any human could ever dream of, but his heart refused to listen to his head. Arwen was everything pure to him; she was his heart, his soul. He had loved her from the moment he first saw her, was enchanted by her laugh, her smile. Her very presence lifted his spirits when nothing else could.

            His hand drifted to the jewel he wore, the symbol of her immortality, for only elves were gifted with star-jewels at their births. Little human blood there was in her veins, but there was enough to allow her to choose whether she would count herself man or elf. She had given her life to him, despite his fear, and it did run deep. For when he died he would, like all men, travel outside the world, while she, even after her death, would remain in it. Such was the fate of elves, to be eternally bound to the world, and when it ended none knew their fate. He knew not what awaited him when he breathed no more, but he did know he did not want to face it alone.

            _Our time is ending here… Arwen's time is ending…let her go…_

            He saw the logic in Elrond's words. The world as they knew it was changing. Galadriel had said as much, but he could feel it, had felt it for some time. The fate of the world was no longer certain. For years, slowly and quietly, the elves had been leaving Middle Earth, taking the straight road to the Western Lands, where no mortal could follow.  Soon they would be little more than a memory, and then they would be myth, as much  so as the Two Trees. And he could not follow her there, nor could he ask her to follow him into death, for that was all that awaited men at the end of their lives.

            Aragorn shook himself. Musing on such melancholy thoughts would not help the situation. Now, at this moment, he had the welfare of his companions to worry over, not the demands of his heart.  Walking back to the camp, he wondered what the morrow would bring even as he dreaded it. Each step towards Mordor was a step away from those he loved, a step closer to danger, and possibly to his death. And what would become of Arwen? Elves could die of grief, and it was a long, painful death indeed. Could he sentence her to that?

            Aragorn sighed. He did not know if he could let her go, even to keep her safe.

            Carter shivered as she dumped another boot-full of water over her head. The Anduin was cold, reminding her of the time when she and her father went hiking and she fell into a small tributary of the Colorado. The water had pierced her skin like knives, and by the time she was fished out the feeling in her fingers and toes was nonexistent. The water she was in wasn't nearly as cold, but it had the same bite. She knew that if she went any deeper the cold would be unbearable.

            It was better than smelling like last weeks old socks.

            Despite the protests of almost everyone in their company she had taken her turn paddling the elven boats down the river, and her muscles were currently letting her know how stupid that idea had been, especially since Teal'c had been more than happy to paddle until they stopped for the night. But no, she had to be her usual, 'I'm one of the boys' self, and damn near kill her arms.

            She smelled like one of the boys too.

            _I'll be damned if I'll smell like something that cat drug in,_ she thought, scrubbing herself with a cake of soap she found in the bottom of her pack. Hopefully the colonel would take the hint and take a bath soon himself. His body took any excuse to produce odor with a vengeance.

            **_You've smelled worse, you just don't want to warn off a certain elf…_**

****_I am not having this conversation with you, so SHUT UP,_ she thought back, wondering if the prolonged amount of gate travel was finally driving her crazy. She hadn't started talking to herself until after she joined the Stargate Program. After a few months, she was holding full fledged conversations with herself, not to mention arguments.

            **_I am not an auditory hallucination brought on by constant high stress. I'm you, I just got sick of you not listening to what WE want._**

****_Right, all hallucinations say that._ Sam paused. _How many of you are there, anyway?_

_            **Wouldn't you like to know.**_   

            She could almost _hear_ the smirk. "All right, that's it. I must be going crazy. I'm arguing with someone who doesn't even exist. Not to mention talking to myself and taking a bath on the edge of a river just to impress someone who probably doesn't even realize I exist-"

            "Samantha, are you all right?"

            Sam froze, then dropped as fast as she could into the waist deep water, fighting the urge to jump back out again. She was sure those parts of her weren't meant to be this cold. Then again, the edge was starting to wear away, so either she was getting used to it, or she was about to loose feeling over everything below her neck.

            "I'm fine," she called out, wondering if she could make a break for her thick cloak without showing too much skin. Right then a flash of brown caught her eye, and she dove after her soap as it tried to make a break for it.

            And just missed it.

            _Damn damn double damn_. She fought the need to smack the water around her. This was just not her night.

            She turned back around, but Legolas was gone. She settled into the water, planning on sitting there until she died of embarrassment.

            There was a plop in front of her, and she picked up the heavy bar of soap.

            " You should keep a tighter hold on those things you need, Samantha."

            The voice came from right behind her, and she turned. Legolas was a few feet away, eyes carefully averted.

            "Thanks," she set the soap on a rock. "Would you mind handing me my cloak?"

            She watched as the elf silently made his way to her small cache of things, then started back. He draped the cloth over a dry rock close enough so that she would have to streak to get it.

            **_Come on, just one little peek, please?_**

            Sam tried to ignore the voice as she climbed out of the river, appreciating the sandy shore. At least she wouldn't have to worry about getting slicked with mud. As she dried off she kept one eye on Legolas, who was still watching the shore.

            **_Damn-it, just peek ya pointy eared elf!_**

            "I'll be fine, Legolas. Thanks for checking up on me," Quickly, she pulled on her underwear, wincing as the cloth abraded her skin. She couldn't tell in the half light, but she was sure some parts were turning blue.

            " You companions assured me you were well, Samantha, but I was not so sure."

            **_See, see, he cares. Score one for the big S!_**

            Sam laughed. "I've been taking care of myself since I was fourteen. You don't have to worry about me."

            Legolas nodded. "Then I will leave you to dress."

            Sam fought down the disappointment as she heard him leave. So, he wasn't interested. Too bad. As she slid her pants on she felt eyes on her, and turned around just in time to see him continue back to their camp, moving a little less gracefully than usual.

            **_He peeked! He peeked! Break out the trumpets._**

            This time Sam couldn't argue.

A/N

Thanks so much for reading this. I cant believe that this story has lasted so long, and I've only gone mostly through the first movie!!!! YIKES!  Thanks to everyone for reading my work. 

Extra special sugar coated thanks goes out to Rolo Rooni (x3), Shanna, Kain Gallant, Kolinshar Jackie-chan Benito, Colonel Sho, J, Kaitland, Alexandra, Kieren Bloodblade she-elf, Kits, Kestryl O'Brien, joea64, lexie, G. Zan, Shalemni, Obsidian, Joe Black, Cheysuli, Brianne, Linda U, TaffyCat3, Tower, Stephanie Hall, steph, Katrin Glase, and Linda Underhill for all the great reviews!!!!!

I'm sorry about the long time between posts. My muse went AWOL and didn't show up again until tonight, and she's kicking me into overdrive. Hopefully I'll have another chapter up by Monday, but only if she doesn't ditch me again.

Remember, REVIEW!!!! I love hearing what people think about my stuff. Positive feedback is always placed on my shrine for moral support. Flames will be eaten with soy sauce and rum!!!!


	18. The breaking of the fellowship

            "Pretty, for a human."

            Daniel jumped, instinctively covering the picture of Sha're with his hands. Gimli was standing next to him. He'd been so absorbed in the picture he hadn't even smelled the smoke from the dwarf's pipe.

            "Your woman?" he asked, gesturing at the picture.

            Daniel smiled, trying to keep it from looking wistful. "My wife, at least she was. Years ago. She died tragically."

            Gimli nodded. "You will see her again, when your life's journey is over. In the meantime, it is time to return to the boats. We have a few more hours before we reach the falls of Rauros."

            Daniel folded the picture carefully and put it back in his breast pocket. That done, he made his way back to the river. The picture was one of the few pictures he had of his wife. She was sitting on a dune, a sunset like those only the desert can produce at her back wearing nothing but a smile, her legs crossed and her arms covering her breasts.  They'd traveled many miles to a small oasis that day, a few weeks after the Stargate had been buried. Because of the festival of Alaman no one had been there but them.

            "You all right, Danny boy?" Jack asked as he climbed into the boat.

            "Yeah," he answered, picking up the oars and pushing them away from the bank. "Just feeling old."

            Jack laughed. " Don't I know the feeling."

            Shaking his head, Daniel fell into line with the other boats as they continued down the Anduin. The first time he'd done this three days ago he'd almost knocked Aragorn and the hobbits out of their boat, then proceeded to bump against every little piece of debris that the fast running river threw their way. It had been years since he'd had to paddle in anything, and the Anduin was unlike to slow rivers of the Amazon. Since then he'd gotten a little better. Now he could at least steer clear of the larger objects that came their way.

            "You wouldn't happen to have any aspirin, would you Jack?"

            Jack turned around. "Aspirin?" He patted his pockets, and after a minute pulled out a slim, white packet. "You're in luck. My last ones." Without needing to be asked he ripped a hole in the packet and tipped the pills into Daniel's waiting mouth.

            The archeologist winced at the bitter flavor, but chewed without pause. Hopefully the headache that had been bothering him would take the hint and go away.

            Two hours later he was surprised by Jack's muttered "Whoa." He searched the river but didn't see anything. "Whoa what?"

            Jack pointed up, and Daniel stopped paddling. Two of the largest stone statues he'd ever seen were up ahead. Statues? Monoliths would have been a better description. He longed for his camera. These were the two largest single carvings he'd ever seen. Two male figures in flowing robes flanked the river, their hands held out as if in warning, both clutching swords to their breasts.

            "Whoa," he whispered. He looked around, and was relieved to see that everyone else was just as entranced with the monoliths as he was.

            "It is Argonath," Aragorn called over the river. "We have reached the ancient northern border of Gondor. The falls are only a few more leagues south."

            _Good_, Daniel thought. He needed a break.

            He was tired of listening to Jack snore too.

            Jack sighed when they finally hit the shore. His ass had gone numb about half and hour earlier, and he hated it when that happened. He associated the feeling with being trapped, unable to move. 

            "Land, sweet land," he sighed, stretching. He looked around, then frowned. "I thought we were supposed to be on the eastern shore," he said to Daniel as they moored the boat. Daniel just shrugged, not saying anything. Jack ran a critical eye over the archeologist. He hadn't been talking as much since leaving Lothlorien. Hadn't really been eating as much either. At first he'd hoped Daniel was just missing the place and that it would pass in a day. He wondered why he hadn't said anything sooner, but dismissed the thought. He couldn't watch Daniel all the time, could he? He was a grown man after all, more than capable of taking care of himself.

            Jack shook himself. Daniel, take care of himself? In their short acquaintance the man had got himself killed more times that Jack liked to remember, not to mention stabbed, blown up, shot, and just about anything else painful that could happen to you. Then there was the fact that he wouldn't eat properly half the time if someone wasn't there to watch him. Take care of himself.

            Right.

            "Forgive me if I'm wrong, but aren't we on the wrong side of the river?" he asked loudly in Aragorn's general direction.

            The ranger glanced at him before dropping the supplies he'd carried from the boat. "We cross the lake at nightfall. Hide the boats and continue on foot. We approach Mordor from the North."

            Gimli  scoffed. "Oh yes? Just a simple matter of finding our way through Emyn Muil, an impassible labyrinth of razor-sharp rocks. And after that, it gets even better.Festering, stinking marshlands, far as the eye can see."

            Jack raised one eyebrow at Aragorn, but the ranger was looking pointed at Gimli, who sat in front of their small cook fire. "That is our road. I suggest you take some rest and recover your strength, Master Dwarf."

            Jack fought the urge to laugh as Gimli bristled at Aragorn's remark. The dwarf hated it whenever someone commented on his age, or any mention that he might not be able to keep up with the rest of them.

            "Does that answer your question, Jack?"

            The colonel nodded. "Sounds like a plan to me."

            He noticed that Legolas didn't look nearly as reassured. "We should leave now..." he muttered to Aragorn.

            The ranger shook his head. "No. Orcs patrol the eastern shore. We must wait for cover of darkness."

            Legolas looked towards the water, and even from a few feet away Jack could tell he was worried about something.

            "It's not the eastern shore that worries me. A shadow and a threat has been growing in my mind. Something draws near - I can feel it."

            Jack looked between the two of them, noticing that no one else was paying attention to the little aside. He'd come to trust Legolas's instincts. If the elf thought something was wrong, it wasn't good. He was just about to ask if they shouldn't take their chances when Merry spoke up.

            "Where's Frodo?"

            Jack took a quick head count. Carter, Teal'c, and Daniel started as well, and quickly stood. Gimli was seated in the same spot. Sam looked like he was about to panic. It wasn't until then that he noticed it. Next to Gimli Boromir's shield and spare sword were laying against the outcropping, but there was no Boromir in sight.

            Oh shit.

            "Legolas, Gimli, you sweep South. Jack, you go west with Teal'c. I'll start North. They cant have gone far," The ranger turned to Daniel and Sam. "Please stay with the little ones," he said to them. "Stay with Samantha and Daniel," he said sternly to the hobbits. The three nodded.

            Jack didn't need any more prompting. Grabbing his short swords he trotted into the trees.

            Boromir collected firewood, barely thinking on what he were doing. They were so close to Gondor he swore that he could see the glittering tower of Ecthelion in the distance. Once, the land he walked on had belonged to his kingdom, before it began to collapse in on itself. He would return his kingdom to its former glory. He only needed the means with which to do so.

            He looked up when he heard soft footfalls, and smiled when he saw Frodo. What was he doing walking by himself? "None of us should wander alone, you least of all. So much depends on you." He picked up another piece of wood. Frodo had stopped and was staring at him. "Frodo?" he asked, but got no reply. "I know why you seek solitude," he began, almost to himself. "You suffer. I see it day by day. Are you sure you do not suffer needlessly?" He thought back over their journey. The hobbit had sunk further and further into himself as they made their ways towards Mordor. "There are other ways, Frodo, other paths that we might take."

            "I know what you would say and it would seem like wisdom, but for the warning in my heart."

            Boromir blinked. Why would Frodo need warning of him? "Warning! Against what?" The hobbit didn't look reassured, and he tried to calm him. "We are all afraid Frodo. But to let that fear drive us to destroy what hope we have... Don't you see? That is madness..."

            "There is no other way." Frodo reached up and grabbed at his shirt.

            The rush of anger Boromir felt was indescribable. The hobbit would destroy what little chance they had against the enemy because some doddering old fool and elves who thought of not but of their own skin told him to. "I ask only for the strength to defend my people!" he threw down the firewood. _People who had known suffering for so many years that they could scarce remember anything else. People who had been beaten and left to die, forgotten by their allies. People who buried what was left of their children in small holes, because their wasn't enough left for a proper grave…_ "If you would but lend me the ring..." he started, moving towards Frodo.

            "NO!"

            Boromir stopped. "Why do you recoil? I am no thief..." he would take nothing from the hobbit that was not given. But if Fordo weren't in his right mind…

            "You are not yourself." Frodo said gently, as if coddling a child, and that only increased his anger.

            "What chance do you think you have? They will find you. They will take the ring. And you will beg for death before the end!" Couldn't he see? If Boromir held the ring he could protect it far better than the small hobbit ever could. He barely knew how to hold a sword, let alone defend himself against an attacker. Giving it to him was the only way to protect the hobbit.

            Frodo shook his head and turned away. Turned away from _him_. Ungrateful wretch. They'd been breaking their backs to keep him safe, and this was how he repaid them? "It is not yours save by unhappy chance. It could have been mine. It should have been mine! Give it to me!" He tackled the hobbit and was reaching for the ring. He had to be around his neck somewhere.

            "No!"

            He barely heard the cry. He had to have it. Once the ring was his he would head to Gondor and mobilize the army. They would march on Mordor and destroy the dark lord once and for all. And then, when they were safe, he would destroy the ring, but not until they were safe…

            In the blink of an eye Frodo was gone, and his hands grasped nothing but air.

            Fordo had put on the ring.

            Something bumped into him, but it was gone before he could grab it. "I see your mind. You will take the ring to Sauron. You will betray us. You go to your death, and the death of us all! Curse you! Curse you! And all the halflings!"

            Suddenly his foot twisted beneath him, and he fell. It was like waking up from a nightmare, only to find that it had been real. "Frodo? Frodo?" he called, looking around, but there was no sign of the hobbit anywhere. "What have I done?" he whispered. _You hurt Frodo, the most defenseless member of your party. You scared him so badly he  ran from you, risked wearing the ring to get away from you_. "Please, Frodo. Frodo..."

            Staggering to his feet, he started running. _Please, let me find him before something terrible happens…_

            Frodo ran, not knowing where he was going. The shadow realm was much different from the world he was used to. Everything seemed to move here, as if it were made of water. Objects ran into one other and merged. He didn't know how long he'd been running, but the sound of Boromir's ranting and ceased. The world around him was dark, he could hear whispering.

            He was about to run to the left when he saw the light. It was coming towards him, and he sighed in relief when he recognized the shape of Jack. He would keep him safe from Boromir. Jack had never done anything to hurt him.

            "Jack!" he yelled, pulling of the ring. The man stumbled to a halt when he saw Frodo, then he was in front of him on one knee, grasping him by the shoulders.

            "Are you all right, Frodo?" Jack asked, looking him up and down.

            Frodo took a breath. "The ring has taken Boromir," he said.

            Jack's eyes hardened. "He didn't hurt you did he?"

            Frodo shook his head. He was safe. "No, I ran away."

            The colonel patted him on the head. "Good boy," he said, as if he were talking to his own son. Then he seemed to go still. "Frodo, where's the ring? Boromir didn't get it did-"

            Frodo shook his head harder. "No. He tried to take it from me but I ran," he opened his hand to reassure Jack that the ring was still safe.

            Jack looked down at the ring, and the hand on his shoulder tightened a little. "Good. Very good. We cant have that going missing, can we?"  He stood up and began ushering Frodo away. "Maybe you should let me hang onto that for a moment, just to be safe."

            Frodo was so relieved to be safe he almost handed the ring over without question. Just before it left his hand he stopped, and took a hard look at Jack. The other man was smiling, but it was forced, and his eyes were glazed. 

            Just like Boromir's.

            "No," he whispered, and tried to back away, but one of Jack's hands was still gripping his shoulder.

            Jack's smile left. "We can do this two ways, easy or hard," he whispered, and Frodo felt himself sink deeper and deeper into a panic. This was not the Jack he knew. This man looked like he could kill him without a second thought. There was no warmth in his eyes, no emotion. Nothing. "Either way, I get that ring."

            The hand on his shoulder became painful, the long fingers digging into his scar. 

            "Jack," he whispered. Jack was still in there. Somewhere, he knew it. Boromir had been in there too, he'd heard it in that last desperate call of his name. "Jack, please."

            He held his breath as Jack froze. It looked like the man was fighting a battle against something he couldn't see. The ring in his hand began pulsing wildly, sharp bursts of heat and cold that pounded against his palm.

            "Go," the words were whispered, almost inaudible. "Put on the ring and run."

            Frodo struggled out of Jack's grasp, but the man didn't move, he stood there, frozen hand grasping nothing but air, and Frodo had the feeling that if he moved he wouldn't be able to stop himself again. "Jack?"

            "RUN!"

            Frodo didn't wait. He slipped the ring on and ran, not knowing where he was going. How many more of his friends had the ring taken?

            Samantha stared around their small group. They'd doused the fire the moment the others had gone to look for Frodo, and now they were waiting. It had taken a threat of hog-tying to make sure Sam didn't go looking for Frodo with the others, and Daniel was talking to the young hobbit, reassuring him that they would find Frodo in no time. She wasn't so sure though. The forest around them, which had been teaming with noise ever since they landed, had gone dead silent. She'd been camping, and she knew what that meant. Something dangerous was near, and it had sent every living thing into hiding but them.

            She looked up when she heard the first distinct clang of metal on metal. "Sir?" she pressed the button on her walkie-talky. They hadn't used them much, and thankfully the batteries hadn't run down all the way yet. "Colonel O'Neil, do you read?"

            There was no answer. She looked at Daniel. "Teal'c, you copy?"

            "I read you Major Carter," Teal'c replied. 

            "Teal'c is the colonel with you?"

            There was a long silence. "Colonel O'Neill managed to elude me once we were a short distance away from camp. I have been attempting to find him with no success."

            Oh shit. The colonel ran away? "Have you seen Frodo?"

            "No."

            Double shit. Before she could say anything she heard a shout. A _lot_ of people were fighting, and she was sure the odds weren't in their favor. "Teal'c head towards the fighting, me and Daniel'll meet you there."

            She turned to the hobbits, who were huddled together, listening to the sounds. "Okay guys," she whispered to them. "Me and Daniel need to go help find our friends. You need to stay here, okay?" the hobbits nodded solemnly. " If you hear anyone coming that isn't us, hop into the boats and make for the other shore as fast as you can. When you get there, don't worry about securing the boat. Just hide. I don't care what you hear, do not go looking for us, okay? We'll find you."

            The hobbits nodded again. 

            "Daniel, lets move."

            The two of them started running, and Sam wondered what was going to happen. The colonel was missing, she had no idea where anyone else was, and she'd just left their charges alone. 

            The stopped once they were surrounded by the forest. The sounds were coming from all around them, and she couldn't make them out.

            "This way," Daniel said suddenly, taking off northwest, his cape billowing behind him. 

            "You sure," she panted as they kept running.

            The archeologist nodded. "I've spent half my life listening to echoes, Sam. Trust me."

            At that moment she caught a flash of gold up ahead, a flash that was almost immediately swallowed by dark masses. Her heart lurched. Legolas was the only one who wore colors like that, and he was surrounded.

            Legolas looked around him, seeing nothing but orcs. These were different though, more manlike, stronger. He fired another arrow, taking down two at once. He had lost sight of Gimli once they entered the fray, but he could hear the dwarf's battle cries, so he was still alive. He hadn't seen Aragorn either, and he wondered if his friend was already lost to them. He didn't know of anyone else in their party was even alive.

            Something flew past him, and he turned just in time to see an orc fall backwards, the hilt of a long knife sticking out of its neck. Samantha ran past him, barely stopping to pull the knife out before facing another adversary, Daniel not far behind. He had just enough time to wonder what had happened to the hobbits before he was fighting again. He saw a blur of brown and felt a weight lift from him. Aragorn was still alive.

            "Aragorn, Go!" he yelled. Frodo was still missing, and they had to find him before anyone else did.

            Merry and Pip were running, where to, Pip didn't know. The moment Samantha and Daniel had left Sam took off in the opposite direction. Merry had tried to grab him, but succeeded only in getting a face full of dirt.

            "Stay close, Pip," his friend muttered as they crept through the underbrush. The sounds of fighting were closer, but he didn't really worry. Orcs were supposed to be stupid, and there wasn't a creature alive that could find a hobbit when he didn't want to be found.

            He was so relieved when they finally caught sight of Frodo running down a hill that he almost cried out. He would have, if Merry hadn't clamped a hand over his mouth and pulled him under a bush. At that minute a gang of orcs ran past, unaware of either them or their friend.

            "Frodo!" Merry cried softly, motioning frantically.

            Pip nodded. "Hide here, quick," Frodo didn't move. "Come on!" he yelled a little louder.

            But Frodo wasn't moving. He looked…sad. Slowly, the dark haired hobbit shook his head, his eyes never leaving there's.

            Pip went still. "What's he doing?" he whispered.

            Merry was just as still next to him. "He's leaving," he said, no longer whispering.

            Leaving? Frodo? He couldn't make it on his own. They were surrounded by orcs and who knew what else. They had to stick together, Gandalf had told them to, no matter what. Frodo couldn't leave, he wouldn't let him. He wasn't about to loose another friend, not if he could help it.

            "NO!" he shouted, and was moving before he could think. He had to make Frodo see sense. He barely heard Merry call his name.

            He was halfway to Frodo when he saw another group of ocs running towards them. He stopped so fast Merry slammed into his back, almost knocking both of them over. The orcs had spotted him, and they were running towards them. He looked at Frodo, who hadn't moved.

            "Run Frodo," Merry said. "Go!" He barely had time to see Frodo begin running to the right. Then Merry was jumping up and down. "Hey you, over here!" he yelled, waving his arms. Pip did the same before they started running left.

            "It's working," he said.

            "I know its working… run!"

            Jack was dying. He knew that because he knew what it felt like, sinking deeper and deeper into an inky blackness that didn't have a beginning or an end. He'd been here, once or twice, so he was more familiar with it than he ever wanted to remember.

            _You are mine… fight me and I will destroy you_…

            **Yours?** How many times had he heard that? Usually in the same voice…

            The pain hit him hard, and he doubled over. Yeah, he was dying. At least Frodo got away…

            _ He is mine as well… he has not escaped…none of you can escape…_

            **Yeah, and fuck you too**, Jack thought to the voice. He would have said it, but he couldn't draw air into his lungs any more.

            For an instant the pain was gone. He was holding his son, running with him into the emergency room, feeling the warm blood spill over his arm from the hole in his chest, feeling his life slip away.

            _ We can change that… he can live again…I can heal him…heal you…all you have to do is what I say…_

 He saw himself, walking up to Aragorn and killing him before the ranger could move. He had a few bullets left in his Glock. He could take out Teal'c and Legolas before they could blink. That would leave Carter and Daniel, and the dwarf, but they wouldn't be too difficult. And once they were gone, the hobbits would be next…

            _I have so much power to give you…all you have to do is beg…_

            It was rage the likes of which he'd only felt once in his life, when the doctor had informed them that his son, his only son, was dead. How _dare_ this thing use his son against him? Mock him? Turn him against his friends…

            He felt it falter for a moment. The pain stopped, and he drew a ragged breath. **You are _not_ going to make me hurt them!**

**            "**O'Neill?"

            Jack looked up. Teal'c was standing over him. "Teal'c?"

            "Are you injured?"

            Jack thought for a moment. Was he injured? He didn't think so. So why was he curled up on the ground? "No," he answered, and winced when the jaffa pulled him to his feet. It felt like someone had been beating him with baseball bats.

            "We must go, O'Neill," Teal'c said. A horn sounded in the distance. "The battle is this way."

            Battle? Jack smiled to himself. 

            Payback time.

            Sam was frantic. He had to find Frodo. He promised Gandalf that he wouldn't loose him, and if there was one thing a Gamgee did, it was keep a promise. He ducked behind a tree when a group of orcs ran past, wondering why they hadn't seen him. He was practically right under them. Then he looked down.

            The cloak he was wearing blended in with the trees perfectly. He moved, and the light gold color it had taken turned a deep, murky gray. So that was why they made sure each and every one of them had a cloak. They were the perfect thing if you needed to hide.

            "Hang on, Frodo," he muttered to himself as he climbed through the underbrush away from the fighting. Frodo wouldn't be there, he'd go somewhere safe, somewhere were no one would think to find him.

            The hobbit jumped when he heard a horn sound, the loud noise blasting through the trees. That was Boromir, it had to be. The only reason he would blow the Horn was if he needed help badly. Sam fought the urge to follow the horn. Frodo first, then, if they lived long enough, he would find the rest of their friends.

            Sam stopped. "The boats," he whispered, then began running in that direction. Frodo wouldn't stay here, not with all these orcs running around. Rumor said that orcs couldn't stand to cross water. The other side of the lake would be the perfect place for him.

            Gimli laughed as the orcs rushed at him. Apparently they had no experience in fighting dwarves, for they were easy to kill. Dwarves fought dirty, there were no rules when most of your opponents were twice your height. A moment ago he'd seen Jack and Teal'c run past him in a blur, each one throwing themselves into the battle. In the glances he'd seen of them Jack fought like a man possessed, while his stoic friend fought with determination, looking like someone who was killing a horde of spiders. The ranks of their enemies was steadily thinning, and he could see almost everyone now, mopping up what was left.

            A horn blared, and he turned to see more orcs swarming into a hollow away from them, following the sound as if it were a beacon. They would converge on Boromir. He stated running, hoping there would be something left of their friend once he reached him.

            Aragorn kissed Boromir's head gently, the skin there already growing cold. With his lasts breaths Boromir had confided to him, told him of his betrayal, yet he could find nothing but pity for him. He had tried to correct his mistake, had given his life to protect Merry and Pippin. For that, if for nothing else, he would forgive him. 

            He heard a gasp and turned. Gimli, Legolas, Teal'c, Sam, Jack, and Daniel were standing behind him, all looking with the same blank states smeared with dirt and blood. Another of their number had fallen, two were prisoners, and he didn't know where Sam and Frodo were.

            "Come," he said, rising, ignoring the ringing in his ears. "We will give him a warriors burial."

            In short order they'd carried the man to the falls, and arranged him in a boat, his shield, horn and sword all the effigy he would have now. Silently, they pushed the boat into the water, and watched as it moved towards the falls. Aragorn tightened the gauntlets that bore the white tree and seven stars of Gondor that he wore now. He had run from his destiny for long enough.

            "Hurry! Frodo and Sam have reached the eastern shore," Legolas was pushing one of the elven boats quickly to the water, but paused when no one moved. Across the lake he could see Frodo and Sam disappearing into the brush, but he didn't move. "You mean not to follow them?" Legolas asked.

            Aragorn shook his head. "Frodo's fate is no longer in our hands."

            Gimli sighed. "Then it has all been in vain. The Fellowship has failed."

            Aragorn turned to look at the dwarf, then to the others. Jack was wrapping Sam's wrist tightly while Teal'c saw to a large cut on Daniel's face. They were paying more attention to him, though, than to what they were doing.

            Not if we hold true to each other. We will not abandon Merry and Pippin to torment and death. Not while we have strength left. Leave all that can be spared behind. We travel light ," he watched as they began gathering their weapons quickly, taking was few provisions were light enough. He wiped his dagger and thrust it into its sheath when everyone was standing again. "Lets hunt some Orc!"

**AT LAST!!!!!!!** :writegirl does happy dance and holds up a net containing her muse Marla::

            The little wench showed up earlier this week dancing around my head and started me on a Harry Potter fic, but I grabbed her!! Finally, done with the first movie!!!

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for reading all of this. You guys have been so great! Extra special candy cane thanks goes out to Linda U. rolo rooni (x2), Kain Gallant, dietcokechic (x2), Colonel Sho, Kieren Da Elf Shanna, Kolinshar Jackie-chan Benito (x2), NeilGartner,  Shalemni,  Kaitland,  nefernetera,  Amy C,  Kits, Alexandra,  Elwen half-elven (x2), G. Zan Obsidian, Vana Everyoung (x2) EmryldWing,  Brianne, Vana Everyoung, Dootz, Queen Vegeta, Tinne,  Shanna, Alynna, ElfguyLegolas, Kieren BloodBlade she-elf, and Taurendil for all your wonderful reviews!!! Thanks for your suggestions and encouragements. You guys don't know how much you mean to me!!!

So, that's it until the next movie comes out. I'll be working on some other stuff. Like Harry Potter ::glares at Marle, who just smiles:: and some other things that I've left hanging. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I've loved writing it. 

Until the next movie then guys J


	19. Orc Hunt

"Merry?"   
Pip looked nervously at his friend. Merry had been unconscious since one of the orcs had slapped him to silence two hours ago, and his head had been lolling like a rag dolls on his shoulders for that whole time. Pip had been worrying enough over that, but the large gash across Merry's forehead, which had only stopped bleeding a few minutes ago, had him even more worried. He'd heard of people taking knocks on the head and waking up entirely different, or worse, not remembering who they were. He knew his cousin's head was hard, but that blow would test just how hard.   
"Merry, please wake up!"   
There was no answer, and Pip laid his head wearily against the orc carrying him. He'd learned that it was better than trying to hold his head away from the orcs stink at the risk of getting a cricked neck. They'd been running non-stop now for almost three days, with no food and little water other than the foul tasting stuff the orcs tossed to them. If they ever got the chance to escape he didn't know if they would have the strength to get very far before they were caught again, and it was that thought that troubled him the most. Even if he did get loose, there was no way he'd be able to carry Merry to safety with him, and there was no way he'd leave him behind.  
Suddenly, they stopped, and the hobbit prepared himself for the worst. They'd knocked Merry out for screaming, and threatened him with death, or worse, if he so much as dared to whisper.  
"I smell Man flesh!" the leader of the orcs shouted. The others began sniffing wildly, growling.   
"Aragorn," Pip breathed the word, not daring to hope. But it couldn't be anyone else, not this far into the wilderness.  
"Quicken pace!" the head orc shouted, and they started running again, faster this time, if the interval between the bounces was any indication. Pip looked to Merry, but his friend was still out. He looked around, wondering what he could do to let Aragorn know where they were going.  
_"These are not just clasps. They will not come out unless removed by their wearer. The leaves of Lorien fall in the direction their bearer is traveling, so keep them close, Peregrine Took. It would be well of you to remember this if you get lost." _  
Pip blinked. Galadriel had told him that at the gift giving. Without a second thought, he used his teeth to rip off the clasp and dropped it on the ground, praying it wouldn't get trampled into the mud. With any luck, his friends would find it and know they were still alive.  
"Hang on, Merry," Pip whispered, trying to keep from crying. "Please hang on." 

"Come on, Gimli!"   
Daniel looked back at the dwarf trying desperately to keep up with them, and felt a burst of real pity. After all, he was the shortest person there, and Aragorn wasn't exactly trying to keep it slow for him.   
Then again, he wasn't keeping it slow for anyone.  
They'd been running almost non-stop for the better part of two days now, and they still hadn't caught sight of the uruk'hi that had taken Merry and Pip. He could feel the panic coursing through their group, knowing that every time they stopped for air or for the hour of sleep they were allowed, the enemy was taking their friends farther and farther away. His lungs were burning, it felt like he was about to throw up, but he couldn't stop.  
He wouldn't.   
"We will not abandon our friends to torment and death," that's what Aragorn said when they set out, but they're was no way of knowing if that hadn't happened yet. He found solace in the fact that the monsters wouldn't have the time to set the hobbits down and do any real lasting damage.  
At last, they stopped. He scanned the area, but there was still no sign of them anywhere. "What's up?"   
Sam pointed at Aragorn, who was stretched across a rock outcrop, eyes closed. At first he thought the man had passed out, but no one else seemed concerned, and the look on the man's face was too serious. He was listening.   
"They've quickened pace," Aragorn wheezed, standing. "They head towards Isengard," Without another word he was off, and Daniel found himself running again. They were running faster too, and he was thankful he'd finally decided to abandon his heavy jacket and vest earlier. In fact, the longer they stayed in this world, the more they were coming to resemble its people. He and Jack were already sporting day's a few days worth of beard growth, and it looked like Sam's hair, realizing that it wasn't in danger of being cut, had decided to take the opportunity and grow. They wore nothing of their original uniforms but the pants and boots, and at the moment he was tempted to abandon the heavy canvas for soft suede. Their side arms were the only weapons they still had after the battle with the uruk'hi. He and Sam at lost their zat's; Jack didn't know where he'd dropped his. He doubted they would have been able to move nearly as fast if they still had all their gear. Marching with sixty pounds on your back was a _whole _lot different from running with it. After this, he would never complain when Jack made them run their five miles a week. They'd covered more than quadruple that amount in forty hours, he was sure of it.   
"I'm wasted on cross-country!" Gimli grunted from behind. "Dwarves are natural sprinters! Deadly over short distances."   
"Save your breath Gimli!" Jack shouted back, throwing the words over his shoulder.   
"Save your own, O'Neill! Wait until the shoe is on the other foot before you complain!"   
Jack tried to laugh, but ended up coughing. He'd never admit it, but Daniel knew he was killing himself trying to keep up. If he had to hazard a guess, he'd say the colonel was worse off than Gimli; he was just better at hiding it. Whenever they stopped he simply collapsed, and accept what water and food he was handed with little more than a glance. You could probably hand him a lizard and he'd suck on it for a minute before he figured out why no water was coming out. Sam was little better. At least she kept standing when they stopped. Teal'c was only just starting to look frazzled, but then again he ran who knew how many miles a day on his own. This could have been little more than a walk in the park for him, but he wasn't really worried about their friends. He knew they would do what it took, even if it meant running themselves to death, to save their friends. He was more worried about Aragorn.  
Ever since discovering Merry and Pip had been taken he hadn't stopped, had barely eaten, and hadn't slept. He was pushing them beyond their endurance, cursing every hazard, every obstacle that slowed them down. He wasn't saying it verbally; he'd never do that. But he couldn't stop the way he looked, and he could swear he was _this_ close to killing Gimli if he slowed down. Legolas also looked worried about Aragorn, and he kept shooting him concerned looks when the ranger wasn't looking. He even went as far as to say something to the ranger during one of their breaks. He didn't hear what Legolas said, but the rangers immediate "my health is my own affair" was a hint. He knew the need for speed. Once the hobbits were in Isengard all hope of rescuing them would be gone. At the moment he had a running tab in his brain, in some part that was still capable of appreciating irony, on who was worse under stress: Aragorn or Jack.   
It took him another fifteen minutes to decide what he was going to do. The minute they stopped for good he was going to laugh, then throw up, then pass out.   
At least, he hoped it would be in that order.  
Finally, night fell, and Aragorn called a halt. He saw a flash of silver, and knew that the ranger still held the elven leaf he'd found half trampled in the mud. The country they were entering had been wet, and now they had a trail they could see.   
"We rest for an hour," he breathed, looking to where the trail disappeared into the darkness. "Legolas, can you see them?"   
The elf shook his head. "They are still too far ahead, but we have been gaining on them. A half hour, and then we must be gone."  
He turned to Aragorn and said something, but the other man shook his head and moved away. For the barest of instants Daniel thought that he would go after his friend. Instead, the elf turned towards Gimli.  
"Now that has got to be one of the strangest things I've ever seen."   
Daniel looked at Jack, who had collapsed next to him. "Them," he said, tipping his chin in the direction of Legolas and Gimli. "When we started this, I could have sworn they hated each other. Now..." Jack trailed off, and both his eyebrows shot into his hair.  
Daniel turned around to see what had happened, and paused, probably with the same look of surprise. Gimli and Legolas were talking. They were doing more than that, though. They were...laughing.   
Laughing?   
_"Give them a few more weeks, and they will be fast friends." _  
Looks like Aragorn was right. 

Frodo jerked awake. The dream had been too vivid, too real. He knew what it was. Bilbo used to talk about his aunt Ida, whose husband had died. Even though the old woman had lived for another twenty years she swore, to her dying day, that her husband was only in the next room. When Frodo had asked why, his uncle replied that when people loose someone they love, sometimes their minds try to bring the person back to life. Frodo knew better. There was no way Gandalf could have survived that fall. He didn't even think an elf could have.  
"Mr. Frodo, are you all right?"  
"Fine Sam," he replied automatically. He wasn't fine. In fact he'd never been as far from fine in his life, even after the death of his parents. He was dying, he knew it. He could feel the Ring stealing his strength, little by little.  
_Lost? _  
**_Shut up shut up shut up_** He hated this, but he didn't know how to stop it. It wasn't like the Ring talked to him, not in a voice he could hear. There was something though, a language known more in the heart than the head. He could _hear_ it, and even though he didn't know the language, he understood the meaning. He could _feel_ the Ring laughing at them, at him. It always did now, taunted him, gave him glimpses of hope. But then again, sometimes it helped, made him go left when he would have gone right. Warned him about danger, though it didn't specify whether that danger was a rockslide or a gorge. It couldn't be all that bad...  
"What do we have left to eat, Sam?" Frodo asked to distract himself. The less he thought about the Ring, the better.   
Sam opened his backpack with a grin. "Let's see. Lembas bread, lembas bread, and... more lembas bread." He broke a piece off and handed it to Frodo. " I don't stand by much foreign food, but this elvish stuff isn't that bad."   
Frodo had to laugh at that. Even if it were _that bad,_ they still would've had to eat it. It was all they had, and even if they somehow managed to find any food or game in the Emin Muil, he wouldn't have eaten it.   
"I suppose we'll be clearing those cliffs today, Mr. Frodo," Sam said, breaking the silence.  
**_We've been trying to 'clear' them for the past day and a half._**  
"Sure, Sam," he answered, and winced at the harsh cheer in his voice. Sam gave him one of his worried looks, but he turned away and pretended to pack up his bedroll. The Ring thrummed softly at his chest, beating in time with his heart.

They were surrounded.  
Teal'c counted the men surrounding them. Thirty-two in all. Even if they had not been running for several days, they still would be unable to take on the force. They rode equines _horses_ he corrected himself, and that gave them a distinct tactical advantage. Their weapons also added to their superior position.   
"What business do humans, an elf, and a dwarf have in the Riddermark? Speak Quickly!"  
The man was clearly in charge of this squadron. Their armor was well worn, several sporting dents and divots which could only have come for swords. These men were regular soldiers. That took away the possibility of using surprise to their advantage. The group would more than likely be used to such tactics, and wouldn't scatter at the first sign of combat.  
"You tell me your name, Horse Master, and I'll tell you mine," Gimli said before anyone else could answer.  
The rider looked them over before dismounting. He walked towards the dwarf and stopped a few feet away. "I would cut off your head, Dwarf, if it stood but a little higher from the ground.."   
In a blur Legolas had drawn his bow. "You would die before your stroke fell."  
Teal'c watched the group of men surrounding them. Now that their attention was focused on the elf, it might be possible to attack with some success. Before he could do anything Aragorn put his hand on the elf's bow and lowered it.   
"I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn, this is Gimli son of Gloin, and Legolas, from the Woodland realm. They are Sam, Jack, Daniel, and Teal'c," he added, nodding to each of them in turn. "We are friends of Rohan and of Théoden, its King."

"Théoden no longer recognizes friend from foe." The rider took off his helm, revleaing a young man beneath. "Not even his own kin." At his words the horsemen lowered their spears. The immediate danger had passed, but he didn't doubt that harm could still befall them.  
The rider looked to each of them in turn, but returned to Sam. "You would travel with a woman?"   
Teal'c fought the anger rising in him. The man's voice was full of amusement. Samantha had proven herself time and again to be a warrior, despite her sex. "She is a warrior worthy of commendation, not amusement," he said.   
The man turned back to him. "I have not seen one of your kind before, not this far north. Most of the dark ones stay near the coast."   
"We're not from around here," Jack said. Teal'c would have smiled. The colonel had a talent for understatement that often went unappreciated.

The man nodded, accepting the explanation. "I am Eomer, cousin to Thoeden. Saruman has poisoned the mind of the king and claim lordship over this land. My company are those loyal to Rohan. And for that, we are banished." A sadness swept through the men around them, one the banished jaffa could identify with. " The White Wizard is cunning. He walks here and there they say, as an old man, hooded and cloaked. And everywhere his spies slip past our nets," he let his eyes settle on Legolas, and the elf bristeled, but remained silent.

"We are not spies," Aragorn was apparently attempting to act as peacekeeper between the two warriors. "We track a band of Uruk-Hai westward across the plains. They have taken two of our friends captive. Have you seen them?"

Eomer looked shocked. "The Uruks are destroyed. We slaughtered them during the night."

Gimli sputtered. "But there were two Hobbits, do you see two Hobbits with them?"

The man looked confused. "You know, Hobbits. Little people, like to talk, like to eat even more," This came from Jack, who was slouching as if unconcerned of their situation. It was a ploy Teal'c had seen the man use several times before to put an enemy off their guard.

"They would be small, only children to your eyes," Aragorn injected, and it was clear that he was concerned. Already Teal'c had scanned the group, and they carried no small ones among them.

The man, Eomer, looked truly sorry. "We left none alive. We piled the carcasses and burned them," He gestured into the distance, where smoke billowed from behind a low hill.

"What!" The colonel sounded livid. "None?" His exclamation was almost dronwed out by an anguished groan from Gimli. "They are dead?"

Eomer nodded. "I am sorry." He turned. "Hasufel! Arod! Tarken! Niand! Blousfurel!" at the command several horses stepped forward. "May these horses bear you to better fortune than the former masters," he turned, and remounted. "Farewell. Look for your friends, but do not trust to hope. It has forsaken these lands," his voice was tired, the weight of his circumstances showing even through his strength. 

As the riders disappeared over the hills the seven stood staring at each other. None had really imagined that they would be unable to recover their friends. Even he hadn't thought they might be killed so close to freedom.

"Mount!" Aragorn shouted as he swung into his saddle.

"You ever ridden a horse before, Teal'c?" the colonel asked.

Teal'c shook his head. "I have seen it on television, but I have never before ridden an equine."

The colonel sighed. "Carter, you ride with Teal'c until he learns the ropes. Daniel, I know you can ride," he patted him on the shoulder. "Just remember, Teal'c: grip with your thighs and follow the horse."

The jaffa found that mounting the horse was more difficult than actually staying on. The animal was strong, however, and carried his and Samantha's weight with little difficulty.

SORRY FOR TAKING SO LONG!!!!!!! I was without the internet for about a month, which meant no research, and no posting. So sorry for the long wait between chapters!!!!!

Now. Thanks so much for reading this!!!!! Special cotton candy thanks goes out toShanna (x3), Alynna (x2), [ElfguyLegolas][1], [Kolinshar Jackie-chan Benito][2], [Elwen half-elven][3], [Vana Everyoung][4], Kieren BloodBlade she-elf (x3), Taurendil (x2), nefernetera, [Curlyro][5], Colonel Sho, rolo-rooni (x2), dietcokechic, [Elvaralind][6] ,[Obsidian][7], [Alexandra][8], [ednyadove][9], [Hunter][10], martin, Kits (x3), warrior, Chris Atola, [Kristen][11], [Queen Vegeta][12], Ivy, Kaitland, ember, tibby, and :P for the great reviews!!! I love you guys.

I'll try to pipe out the next chapters as fast as possible, but I don't know when the next chapter will be up and running so bear with me please. Hope you all had great holidays and that you're doing well!!!!!

Hugs

Writegirl

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	20. Desperation

            Eowyn sat by the side of Derethon, one of her dearest friends. The young woman was gravely ill. The birth of her latest child had been a hard one, and now she burned with fever. The midwife said that if she lasted the week she would more than likely survive, but at the moment she appeared to be fading away.

            Sighing, she gently placed the hand she'd been holding on her friends chest and stood. There were still more houses that needed to be checked before she could return to the side of her uncle.

            "It does her well that you sit with her," Milas, Derethon's husband said once she stepped outside. "Her color improves when you are near."

            Eowyn nodded. "Two more days, Milas. If she lives till then she might recover."

            The tall man nodded before walking into the house, a child of six years trailing him. Once they were inside Eowyn breathed deep, forcing herself to calm. There was nothing to be gained through tears or hysterics; she'd learned that long ago.

            "My Lady! My Lady!" Carmon, one of her brothers horsemen, raced towards her. Eowyn ran. "What has happened?"

            "It's Theodred," were the only words he spoke before she was running for the Golden Hall, fear settling in her stomach. She passed through the doors of the great hall without stopping and ran to her counsins apartments. Eomer was seated next to the young man, who was pale.

            "Thoedred," she whispered. Her eyes truned to Eomer, who said nothing, only nodded to the stained cloth covering the young man's chest. Eowyn took a breath before lifting the cloth, and closed her eyes at what she saw. The wound was deep, and even though an attempt had been made to pack the wound, blood still seeped sluggisly from it.

            "He will not recover, sister," Eomer said quietly. "The wound it too deep, and I believe poisoned.

            Eowyn nodded. They had to tell Theoden, no matter the state of his mind. "How long?"

            "We were attacked at dawn near the Reaches. We were over run. Seven of my men died before I was able to escape with Theodred."

            She turned. "Escape?"

            Eomer nodded. "They fought hard. It was not blood they wanted, Eowyn. It was Theodred. They pushed towards him blindly, not caring how many of their number were slaughtered."

            Eowyn hung her head. She wanted more than anything to get away, to scream, to do anything other than stand there, helpless, while her kinsman died. As she stood two servants entered carrying water and bandages.

            It would not be enough.

            "Come," she said, pulling her brother out of the servants' way. "We must tell Theoden."

            The walk to the Great Hall was silent, their footfalls echoing down the corridors. She remembered a time when the hall had been full of the sound of women, children, servants, all scampering this way and that as they went about their business. Now the hall was silent as a tomb.

            _And there the king of corpses sits himself_, she thought as they stood before Theoden. She loved the man. He had taken her and her brother in when their parents died, raised them like his own. Now he sat, a husk of a man ruling over a failing kingdom, too crazed to notice that his world was falling around him. She decided not to mince words.

            "Your son is badly wounded, my lord," she started.

            Eomer rushed to finish. "He was ambushed by Orcs," he brother said, barely contained violence in his voice. "If we don't defend our country, Saruman will take it by force."

            Saruman? He had said nothing of him. She was about to ask what the White Wizard had to do with this when a dry voice rattled.

            "Grima... Grima, "

            They were the first words that he'd spoken in over a month. Grima, her uncle's advisor, slunk out of the shadows to kneel by the king.

            "Orcs are roaming freely across our lands," Eomer continued. "Unchecked, unchallenged, killing at will. Orcs bearing the white hand of Saruman," that said he dropped the black helmet of an orc at the feet of the king, a helmet that bore the White Hand, Saruman's symbol. Eowyn froze inside. Their friend, the one they trusted not only for counsel, but help, had turned against them.

"Why do you lay these troubles on an already troubled mind?" Grima asked, his voice full of censure. "Can you not see? Your uncle is weary of your malcontent, your warmongering." His voice had gone hard.

Before Eowyn could reply Eomer had grabbed Grima and forced him into a pillar. Theoden slipped away, to wherever his mind went when Grima wasn't speaking to him.

            "Warmongering?" Eomer  spat the word. "How long has it been since Saruman bought you? What was the promised price, Grima? When all the men are dead you would take a share of the treasure?"

            She couldn't take anymore. Theodred needed to be seen to, and she didn't trust the servants to do so. All those who were able bodied and skilled had left long ago, leaving only a few children and old men to see to the running of the Hall. She stopped though, when she felt eyes upon her, and turned. Both Eomer and Grima were staring at her: Eomer in question, and Grima in longing.

            "Too long have you watched my sister, too long have you haunted her steps."

            Eowyn continued to her room, then stopped at the threshold of  the Hall. She wouldn't leave Eomer to deal with Grima.

            "You see much, Èomer son of Èomund. Too much." There was the sound of scuffling, and she heard Eomer struggling. She ran to the door and saw him held by four guards while Grima looked on, smug.  "You are banished forthwith from the kingdom of Rohan, under pain of death."

            _No, it can't be. Not Eomer_, the thoughts ran through her mind as they bodily carried her brother out. She listened as not only one horse, but several rode through the gates. Eomer and his party were gone. She couldn't believe, she wouldn't…

            "I am sorry you had to see that, my lady."

            Wormtongue hadn't moved, but his tone had softened. 

"What have you done?" she whispered, keeping her eyes averted. If she looked at him now, she might kill him.

"What is best for us all, My Lady," Grima answered, and she could tell by his shuffling steps that he was moving towards her. "Your brother's cries of betrayal have been trying on the king. His mind is too delicate a thing to suffer such abuses. Saruman is our friend, your uncle's friend for more years than you have lived. How do you think false witness against that friend would affect him?"

Eowyn didn't answer. Instead she turned and walked back to Theodred's room, to his deathbed. 

Jack watched the heap of burned bodies grow closer, and fought against the sick feeling in his stomach. They couldn't be dead. Aragorn had tried to explain that most men in Middle Earth had no knowledge of hobbits, and they were often mistaken for wandering children. He couldn't believe that anyone, including soldiers, would have killed and burned two children.  
"They're all right, Jack," Daniel said as they stared at the corpses.  
Jack nodded, and began helping Gimli sort through the charred remains. He didn't think it was possible, but the dead uruk'hi managed to smell worse than when they were alive. He noticed Gimli using his axe, and decided that would be the best way to go. He picked up one of the heavy swords that littered the ground and used it like a shovel. After a few minutes Gimli froze, and reached into the rubble.   
"Oh, no," Gimli whispered, then pulled out a piece of burned leather. "It's one of their wee belts."   
The silence that surrounded seemed to grow deeper. Jack closed his eyes. He wasn't a religious man, but he said a prayer nonetheless, that they died quickly with no pain. 

"_May they find peace after death,"_ the elvish words poured over him, and he couldn't help but agree.

Aragorn however, was not about to suffer in silence. Jack had heard a sound like that once before. It's the same one he'd screamed after Charlie died, when he found his gun lying beside a pool of his son's blood. Legolas was whispering a prayer for them, but Jack couldn't believe that they were dead. "Teal'c, Sam, you see anything?"   
The two began scanning the ground, and Sam shook her head. 

            "A hobbit lay here," Aragorn said suddenly, laying a hand gently on the ground in front of him.

The jaffa nodded. "Indeed, and another there," he pointed to another patch of ground.

"They crawled," Aragorn muttered, scouring the ground for any evidence of their friends. "Their hands were bound."

"And how exactly does he know all this?" Jack asked, his tone only barely laced with sarcasm. In the course of their relationship Aragorn had taught him more than a thing or two about tracking.

Suddenly, the ranger pulled a piece of rope from the ground. "Their bonds were cut. They ran over here and were followed." Aragorn was on his feet now. " The tracks lead away from the battle… into Fangorn Forest."

Jack felt the dread in Aragorn's voice echoed in his soul. They were on the edge of the forest, and there may as well have been a ' no trespassing, all violators will be eaten' sign on the trees in front of them. If you could call them trees. More like a mangled jumble of twisted wood from a dope fiends nightmares.

" Fangorn! What madness drew them there?" Gimli whispered. The

"Whatever it was, they may yet be alive," Aragorn answered. "No one can find a hobbit who doesn't wish to be found, especially in the wild. We travel in pairs, stay close and do not go wandering, no matter what you see."

____________________________________________

            Legolas watched the trees of Fangorn with apprehension. In all his years seldom had he come to a place so dark. The very plants whispered, spoke among themselves concerning the intruders. Of him they saw little threat, for even these old trees knew and respected elves, though he didn't doubt they would attack if provoked. He had little doubt that every tree in the wood knew of their presence, and all were speculating on what to do about it. Few dared to enter Fangorn, even of his kind, and almost always at the greatest desperation. There were tales of whole caravans of people and goods entering the forest only to disappear. 

            Among the elves Fangorn was revered. The oldest of the old had once inhabited its twisted trees, for those trees were rumored to have stood there from beyond even the reckoning of the elves. Legend spoke of Fangorn once holding up the sky, before the Valar lifted it above the earth. But now that majesty was lost. A sadness permeated the forest, and an anger that was directed at those who would dare harm it. He turned, and saw that the path they had followed was blocked, clogged with branches and brambles that hadn't been there moments before. 

            He knew an ambush when he saw one.

            "These trees do not wish us to leave," he said, almost to himself, but there was little doubt that Aragorn heard him.

            "As long as we harm none, we should be fine," the ranger answered from behind him.

            There was a groaning near them, a whispered laugh. Legolas was not so sure.

            "Um, does anyone else feel a little unwanted?" The question came from Jack, and Legolas almost laughed. There were times when he couldn't tell whether the man was joking or being serious.

            "Orc blood," Gimli prodded the patch of greenish-black blood with his axe.

            Legolas nodded. The puddle was huge, but the orc that created it nowhere to be seen.

            "These are strange tracks," Aragorn said behind him. Legolas had already looked at the large sink, and noticed another almost twenty feet away, almost hidden in the thick undergrowth. Trolls did not make such tracks, nor any other creature he'd ever seen. 

            Something ancient must have survived in Fangorn afterall.

            "This forest is old," he said finally. "Very old. Full of memories," a sound drifted past him, the slight beat of fae wings, followed close by the ghost of a scream. "And anger. The trees are speaking to each other."

            "Yeah, that makes me feel a lot better," O'Neil commented.

            Suddenly there was a burst of noise. The trees were yelling, their voices pilling on top of each other until all he could hear were the muted groaning of straining wood. Something had angered the trees beyond their intrusion.

            "Gimli, lower your axe!"

            Legolas turned. Gimli had raised his axe, and held it poised, ready to strike. No wonder the trees had become even angrier.

            The dwarf, though, looked at them dubiously, but made no move to do as ordered.

            "Gimli," Samantha moved towards him, and gently but firmly lowered the axe. At her interference the trees returned to their whisperings, and he fought the urge to smile. 

            That urge disappeared when movement caught his eye. Something was drifting among the trees, swift and determined. "_Aragorn, nad no ennas_!" he whispered in elvish as he climbed to the top of a small rise, trying to catch another glimpse of the man, for he was sure it was a man.

            "_Man cenich?" _

            The rest of their party gathered around them. "The White Wizard approaches," he said simply, shifting his eyes to where he could just make out a slash of white moving behind them.

            "Do not let him speak," Aragorn said as he slowly reached for his sword. "He will put a spell on us! We must be quick."

            The slightest of nods was all the confirmation they gave. Legolas readied his 

bow.

            It did no good.

            His arrow and Gimli's axe were knocked away effortlessly, and several swears punctuated by the sound of dropping metal let him know that the rest of his companions had been disarmed as well. The light was blinding, and even if he risked another shot, there was little guarantee that the arrow would find its target.

            "You are tracking the footsteps of two young hobbits," the light said. 

            "Yeah, little guys, about this high, pain in the ass, you don't have them, do you?" there was a muffled 'oomph', so he supposed that one of their companions had silenced their colonel.

            "Where are they?" Aragorn asked, desperation in his voice.

            "They passed this way the day before yesterday. They met someone they did not expect. Does that comfort you?" The light had lessened, but even his eyes could not pick out the features of the man before them.

            "Who are you? Show yourself!"

            The light dimmed, and Legolas felt his heart stop for the barest of instants.

            Gandalf.

            He was alive.

Translations:

_Aragorn, nad no ennas__! _Aragorn, someone's out there

_Man cenich?_  What do you see?

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	21. Conversations

            "General?"

            Hammond looked up from the mission reports he was studying. SG-1 had recently returned from P98-J41. The planet, which as far as the UAV and scouting trips could determine, was uninhabited but contained a large deposit of naquadah. "Yes Lieutenant?" 

            "Sir, an Asgard has arrived in the gate-room. He says he wishes to speak with you."

            Hammond blinked. Usually the arrival of one of the small gray beings was heralded by a general power surge. " Send him in."

            The lieutenant moved and the small alien entered the office. Hammond stood and smiled. "I'm General Hammond, commander of this facility."

            The Asgard nodded. "I am Loki. Thor wishes me to express his regret at being unable to come himself. His ship is currently in the Garataliend sector."

            The general didn't even pretend that he knew where that was. "Please," he gestured to the chair across from his desk.

            "I bring news," Loki started once he was seated. "Our scientists have been able to determine the conditions that surrounded the disappearance of SG-1. They have discovered that there are over seven million different dimensions that they could have been sent to. Several thousand have been searched without success."

            That was better news that George had been expecting for weeks.

            "There is a problem however," Loki added. "There are several dimensions that we were unable to access for many reasons. If  SG-1 managed to find their way into any of these it could be impossible to gain access to them for some time."

            "Define 'some time'," Hammond asked.

            Loki tilted his head. "We could be denied access to them for several years, if not centuries. It would not be prudent to continue searching for so long, considering that they would be dead. Thor has informed us that you are unable to search from this facility for many reasons stemming from your government. The Asgard are prepared to continue searching for your friends until such time as they are found, or you no longer feel that searching is a viable option."

            Hammond nodded. "Thank you for taking the time and effort to do what we cannot," he said, and he meant it. Everyone at the base would be off world at the moment searching if they could, but they had their orders. 

            Loki nodded in return and stood. "If you will excuse me, General, I must return to our ship. Our sensors indicate that we will be discovered in a few minutes by your satellites," that said, the Asgard disappeared.

            Hammond leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. Seven million. The chances that his people would still be in the area, if they managed to find an open gate at all were slim to none, even he knew that. For the first time in over three months he allowed himself to consider the possibility that they hadn't made it.

            He stood when he felt the familiar shaking of his chair. SG-15 was scheduled to depart in a few minutes. He walked to the window and watched as the gate spiraled into life. How many men and women had he sent through it over the past four years? Too many to count. How many had never returned?

            Seventeen.

            Every time someone died off world, or as the result of a mission, he added a name to the list in his head, along with a face. Thirteen men and four women had died under his command, and for the past months he had staunchly refused to add four more. Sg-1 always managed to land on their feet. Somehow those four people had managed to cheat death more times than was sane. They were practically the poster children of beating the odds. But at the back of his mind, for years now, had been a niggling doubt.

           After all, even cats only had nine lives.

            "I think my ass is going to fall off."

            Daniel grumbled when Jack laughed at his assessment as he disappeared into the darkness. He wasn't joking. They had been riding for the better part of the day, and the sun had only just gone down. Sighing to himself, he patted his horse gently on the shoulder and looked around their small camp. Teal'c and Aragorn had gone hunting, while Jack and Legolas were on 'root detail', and the colonel had so cheerfully put it. Sam was currently rolled into a little ball, her cloak spread about her, a blond head that seemed to appear out of nowhere. When he sat down he fought the urge to giggle as a small snore echoed through the camp. No matter what she said when awake, the woman snored.

            "You can look at me, you know, I wont disappear."

            Daniel jumped, then blushed guiltily. Gandalf was sitting across from him, and the wizard was right, he had been trying to avoid looking at him. "I know you wont," he answered back, idly stirring the fire.

            "Are you?" Gandalf asked in that aggravating questioning tone. Daniel shook his head. The first time they'd spoken together since that morning and he was already exasperated.

            Daniel looked up. The old codger was actually smiling. He sighed heavily and continued his poking, much more forceful this time. "If I wasn't they'd have to lock me away. Delusions tend to be the first sign of mental illness," he shuddered. _Oh no, Daniel. We are _not _going there today._

            Gandalf laughed. It was the same deep, resonating laugh that he remembered, but it was different somehow. It was older, more tired.  "Of course they wouldn't."

            "You'd be surprised," Daniel muttered. _ Just plain maudlin today, aren't we?_ "How long until we reach Edoras?"

            Gandalf looked to the south. "Perhaps a three day ride at the pace we take. Shadowfax is ready to move already."

            A neigh sounded from behind him, proof enough that the horse was in agreement. Gandalf had placed his horse in charge of theirs, at least, that's what it looked like when, at a whisper from the old wizard, Shadowfax began corralling their horses into a tight circle.

"You do not seem happy to see me."

            The archeologist was confused. "Of course I'm happy to see you, we all are."

            "That bears seeing."

            Daniel looked up again. The old man was actually _teasing_ him. "I just don't know what to say. You died. You fought a demon, and you died. But here you sit. I mean, they've thought I was dead before, but you… you really were."

            "And that troubles you?" Gandalf's tone was thoughtful.

            _More than you know._ "Are you sure Merry and Pip are safe?"

            The wizard raised one eyebrow, but said nothing on the sudden change of topic. "They are safe, as safe as they can be in Middle Earth. Treebeard will allow no harm to come to them. Then again," he added, "they just might drive the poor creature insane with their questions. Ents are old creatures, the first. Hobbits just might prove too fast for him to handle."

            Daniel shook his head. First elves, then dwarfs, even goblins. But thirty foot trees that walked and talked? Fewer and fewer things were taking up the folder marked 'Impossible' in his head. "What were you doing in Fangorn, Gandalf?"

            Gandalf looked confused for a moment. "I don't know. I _had _to be there. I suppose the distress of our small friends drew me to them."

            The other man nodded. It was as good a reason as any other. "What happened in Fangorn anyway? The place was just… evil."

            "Not evil," Gandalf shook his head. " Just old. And sad. And deeply, terribly angry. The trees were once known as the Great Forest. It covered most of Middle Earth from the reaches of the Grey Havens to the edges of the Shire. Over time, the trees were cut down, the forest receded further and further, until it began to fight back. The old spirits dwell in Fangorn, creatures that were slowly driven out of their homes by the coming of men. Even elves displaced their share of life here. Sprits live there, nymphs, _nilats_, all of them aware that they cannot roam as they once did. They resent the forest for its limitations, even as they love it for its protection."

            "Do you think we'll ever go home, Gandalf," Daniel asked suddenly, then wished he hadn't. Over the past weeks he'd kept himself from thinking about it. Sam and Jack did too. Even Teal'c had seemed reluctant to talk about earth, and what might be going on there.

            "That I do not know, Daniel. You will go where you are needed."

            "Fate?"

            "Design."

            "You don't have to be so smug about it."

            Jack could have sworn…_sworn_… that Legolas was laughing at him. It wasn't his fault that he went cart-wheeling head over tea kettle into a bush. If the damned elf hadn't distracted him with all his questions he would have seen the root sticking out of the ground, he would have walked around it. He certainly wouldn't be limping right now, wondering if it was actually possible to sprain your ass. After a quick but thorough once-over from Legolas they determined that nothing was broken, gathered up the sack of roots and tubers that they'd collected, and headed back to camp. Thankfully he'd only be bruised in the morning.

            On his ass.

            An ass that would be sitting on a saddle tomorrow.

            _All day long._

            "I was not being smug, Jack. I only said I warned you-"

            "You know, on my world, we call that an 'I told you so', and most people over the age of twelve are mature enough not to say it." Not counting one Colonel Jack O'Neill, but he wasn't going to tell _ him _ that.

            Even in the dim moonlight he could see the elf's eyes shining with amusement. Jack decided that he didn't like this Legolas. He liked the serious, quiet elf that had grated on his nerves with his dead-pan seriousness that he'd met in Rivendell.

            "Why did my question disturb you?"

            Jack started. _Disturb?_ "It didn't disturb me. I was just caught off guard." 

            "And?"

            Evil-Jack grinned in the colonel's head. He'd draw this out until the elf was biting his nails. "_ And _what?"

            There was a small choking noise that could have been exasperation. "And, does Samantha not have any family?"

            "Sure. There's Jacob, and through extension Selmac. There's her brother, Jimmy… cant remember her other brother's name."

            "So she has no…companion?"

            _Companion? That's a new way of putting it._ "Ah, no. Not that I know of. You'll have to ask her."

            The elf seemed to deflate for a moment, then perked up again. "Hopefully Aragorn and Teal'c have been successful in their hunt."

            "Yeah," he could see the fire glowing. A few more feet, and they'd be home.

            "And Jack?"'

            "Yeah?"

            "I told you so."

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	22. Edoras

Sam eyed the gates of the city as they rode through. No one moved to challenge them as they rode slowly along the muddy, beaten path. There were a few homes, most of which were falling into being hovels. The people were dirty and haggard, most of them watching the group with dead eyes.   


"The warriors we met came from here?" she whispered to Aragorn. He nodded sadly. "It is a terrible thing when a people are reduced to such circumstance," his eyes lingered on a small boy, as dirty as the rest of the people, with the pinched look of starvation on his face.  


Sam tried not to stare at the people as they made their way to the Golden Hall, the name Gandalf had given the large building seated at the top of the hill. They were going to find someone named Theoden, the king of this place. As they moved further into the town she fought down a pang of anger. What kind of king would let his people fall into such a state? Most looked half-starved, the rest were clearly unhealthy.  


"Your sympathy for these people shows," Legolas said to her, and Sam started. The elf had remained at her side for most of the journey, and she'd grown used to his presence, so much so that she'd almost forgotten he was there. She hadn't known her emotions were that easily read.  


"Look at them," she retorted. "There's hardly a person between fifteen and fifty," and it was true. The people were either very old or very young, with not many in-between. It didn't take a genius to realize that this was a people on the verge of extinction.  


The elf glanced up, then faced forward. "This place is dying, Samantha. There is nothing we can do to save it, but we may be able to save those who are left."   


Sam looked at Legolas. His face was serious and drawn, almost as if seeing people in this state caused him physical pain.   


_We could help that, you know. _  


Sam sneered at her inner self, which she had slipped into calling **the bitch**. **The bitch** didn't care that she wasn't supposed to be thinking about getting involved with anyone on a mission. **The bitch **didn't care that the person she'd set her eyes on would more than likely outlive her several times over. In fact, **the bitch **didn't seem to care about anything that wouldn't make Sam blush ten shades of red.  


**I swear, when we get back to the SGC, I don't care how much medication I have to take, I'm gonna get rid of you.**  


**The bitch** gave what could have been a sigh. _Oh, really?_  


Sam growled to herself. There had to be something about the food they ate, or maybe it was the lack of female contact, or chocolate, but she was definitely going insane the longer she stayed here.   
  
  
"Okay, that was one of the most terrible things I've seen in my life."   


Daniel Jackson shivered as he picked at his bread. Seeing someone 'possessed' in the sense he was used to wasn't an uncommon sight for an anthropologist. In fact, he'd been witness to several such possession, and their subsequent exorcisms while in the field. However, what they'd witnessed a few hours ago was nothing like what he'd ever seen before. Even the Gou'ld, who possessed their victims, didn't shake him up as badly as what he'd just seen. At least they needed proximity to completely take over a person. Saruman had been able to take complete mental and physical control over the king from thousands of miles away.  


"Are you not hungry, Daniel Jackson?"  


He looked down. The hunk of bread he'd been given was reduced to little more than a pile of crumbs, his soup remained untouched in its bowl. He smiled sheepishly. "Not really, Teal'c."  


"You should try to eat," Aragorn said. "You will need your strength for tomorrow."   


Ah yes, tomorrow. They were supposed to help the city evacuate and move to Helms Deep, some kind of fortress. His eyes swung to the small pallet were two children huddled in sleep. They had arrived a few hours after what remained of the fellowship, exhausted and dehydrated, probably the only survivors of a small village called Sirham.  


Gimli followed his gaze. "They'll be fine," he murmured, placing a steady hand on the young man's shoulder. "Children are designed to recover from things such as this. All it will take is time."   


Daniel shook his head, but remained silent. No child could recover from the death of their parents, he knew that from experience. 

"Still, their sadness runs deep," Legolas retorted. "The memory of it will last their whole lives."

Daniel cut a sidelong glance at Jack, who had been conspicuously silent since Theoden's proclamation. No, that wasn't true, he'd been quiet since the king learned of his sons death.  


"Your quarters are prepared," Eowyn said from the doorway. "If you would follow me."   


The group filed after the young woman. In truth, Daniel had been surprised to find her in a place such as this. She was a spark of light in a dying kingdom, a view shared by many of the people he'd spoken with over the past several hours. All of them adored her, counted on her when there was no one else. She'd taken over feeding and housing them by herself, asking for their patience as she handled things personally. 

As the woman of the house, and niece to the king, it was her duty to look after such tasks. In that way she was no different from many of the women of the feudal era in Europe.  


They climbed two flights of stairs before coming to a large room. Several thick pallets laid with furs lined the floor, and the archeologists nose began to itch at the remainders of dust and mold.   


" I apologize, but this is all I can prepare on such short notice," Eowyn said as they walked into the room. "The upper rooms haven't been aired in some time, which is why the windows are opened. Feel free to shut them as you wish."  


She stopped Sam as she walked into the room. "Major Carter, I would be honored if you shared my room this night."

"Um, sure," she turned towards her companions. "Sorry guys," without another glance she began walking after the lady.

"Yeah, right," Jack grumbled, breaking his silence. He looked at the large steaming bowls that sat in one corner, and Daniel could guess that they contained water for bathing. "She just didn't want to get caught with her pants down."

Daniel tried not to laugh at the shocked expressions the three warriors had. He knew Jack had been planning a way to get back at her for the Lothlorien incident, he'd just been bidding his time. "No such luck, Jack. She always gets away."

"Except for that time on P3X-595," the colonel said, smiling.

Daniel blinked, then thought back. Oh, yes. All of them had ended up naked somewhere at least once, except for Carter. Then came P3X-595. It was the one mission for which the barest mention would make Sam blush ten shades of red, then threaten death for anyone who even thought of spreading the story. The archeologist tried to feel guilty, after all, he'd given the crash course in diplomacy, emphatically stating that they should eat/ drink whatever they were offered, _after_ they asked what, if any, affects it would have. This came after SG7 was left tied up naked next to the stargate for refusing to share in a feast in their honor.

Sam had listened, taken notes, and felt prepared to meet the people of P3X-595 without creating an intergalactic incident. She'd shared in the drink offered to the women while he, Jack, and Teal'c shared in a slightly sticky substance known as _ballalla_. The people had assured them that both would harm them in to way, that they were meant to relax a person after a long journey. While the only results for them was a state of rather nice relaxation, Sam had hit the jackpot. Apparently, the drink _nepher_ had one other purpose: to prepare a woman for meeting her partner after a long journey. In the end, Teal'c ended up babysitting a thoroughly stoned Carter who was adamant in helping him out of his clothes while Jack argued with the headman that she wasn't for sale, or trade, while he translated, omitting the more colorful language of the colonel.

Besides, he was sure that planet didn't have anything resembling Rodeo clowns.

Sam said almost all she remembered was some of the argument between Jack and the headman, but didn't know what was being said. Not to mention that they'd all gotten one hell of a strip show in the process. Once Hald realized that Samantha wasn't for sale, he tried to argue for _borrowing _her, so that she could teach the women of the village to dance like she did. But as she didn't remember that, none of them were willing to remind her.

"What happened on this P3X-595?" Gimli asked. The tales of the worlds they visited had helped to warm many a cold night during their travels.

Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas watched as their companions blushed. Even Teal'c turned a noticeable shade of red. The three muttered a response before busying themselves elsewhere.

Aragorn looked at the dwarf and the elf and smiled mischievously." Perhaps it would be better to ask Samantha-"

Two loud "No!'s" followed by a calmer "That will not be necessary," met his words.

The three men looked between each other, wondering how they were going to survive the night.  
  
Eowyn watched the woman as she shrugged into a borrowed nightgown. Without the layers of male clothing she was more feminine, almost delicate, but Eowyn could sense a core of strength in her. She was fascinated by the concept of a woman warrior, someone who was not only trained but allowed to use that training, for why else would she be traveling with such men? While they had formed a group around her, she still carried herself with the air of someone used to fighting their own battles. She was certainly no camp girl, nor did she believe any of the men would use the services of such a woman.  


"Thanks for letting me bunk down with you," Samantha said as she settled onto her pallet. "The idea of changing in front of everyone was less than appealing," she didn't add that turn about would have been fair play, considering the fact that she'd got an eyeful a few weeks ago.  
"It is no trouble," Eowyn answered. "I have been longing to speak with you for some time now."  
Sam was rubbing a towel over her damp hair and missed the anxious look on the other woman's face. "About what?" 

"You are a warrior, are you not?" she asked. "Women are allowed to pursue such things in your country?"

Sam nodded.

Eowyn felt a weight lift from her. So, there was hope after all. "I am glad to hear it," she said. "Women of my country are taught to fight, but seldom get the chance to use their skills. The men here act as if our blood is not good enough to be spilled in the defense of our people."

The major heard the bitterness in the other woman's voice, the frustration. Sam wanted to bite her tongue for what she was about to say, but she felt it needed to be said. "In our country we have weapons that even the score between men and women," she gritted her teeth. "On one level I can understand your men not wanting women to fight. In a test of brute strength we're at the disadvantage," Eowyn looked shocked. "That doesn't mean I agree with them, though," Sam added.

Eowyn stood and walked towards the fireplace. "There was a time when being a shield maiden held true meaning, when we were allowed to fight alongside our people. Those days have long since passed out of memory. I was trained to fight, to desire honor and victory, and then denied the ability to find either," it was a bitter gall for her. For as long as she could remember her uncle had regaled her with tales of the shield maidens of old, how they fought and protected their people, only to learn that she would be unable to do the same.

She turned back to Samantha, who sat staring out the window. The other woman sighed. " I can understand how you feel. It wasn't easy for me to get where I am. There are rules and regulations that prevent women from taking certain posts. Just getting through officers training was Hell. Then there's the double standard."

"Double standard?" Eowyn was confused.

"Yeah. It means that men can get away with things women cant, even though the same laws are supposed to govern each. Case in point. A man who sleeps with the women in his command is considered a stud, given a certain level of respect from other men. If a woman were to sleep with the men in her command-"

"She would be branded a whore," Eowyn finished.

Sam nodded. "Or worse, she could be removed from duty. Then there's the whole glass-ceiling thing," she didn't wait for Eowyn to ask. "It means that there's a barrier that cant be seen that stops you from going farther than is 'acceptable'," she thought back to when she was passed up for command of SG1, despite the fact that she had the field experience and rank.

"So, our countries are different, but still the same," Eowyn murmured. She had hoped that somewhere, it might be different. But it seemed that was all she had, hope. "Perhaps no freedom is better than the illusion of it." When Samantha didn't answer she started for the door. "If you'll excuse me, Samantha, I must see to my uncle."

Eowyn walked through the Golden Hall, lost in thought. Tomorrow morning would begin the preparations for their journey to Helm's Deep. She had instructed everyone to bed down early, so they could rise before the sun. The halls were silent, without even the wind to echo through the stone halls. _So even nature herself has abandoned us,_ Eowyn thought as she pushed open a door. "Uncle?"

Theoden sat, staring into the darkness beyond the large window of his room. "How many have died while I sat that way, Eowyn?" his voice was old, tired, more tired than she'd ever heard it.

The woman started. Of all the questions she expected, this one had escaped her. "What?"

He didn't move. "How many have died while I sat in that state? How many lives have I taken through negligence? How many people have lost their sons, daughters, while I sat as a puppet on a crumbling throne?" he took a deep breath. "How many men would fail to react when told that their only child, the one reminder they had of a woman loved, was dead?"

Eowyn approached him slowly. She'd asked herself that question several times over the past few months, but never had the heart to discover the answer for herself. "From what we have been told, many suffer throughout Middle Earth."

Theoden laughed, the sound brittle as dead leaves. "We of the Rohan have always been vigilant. We have always been ready to fight with a willing sword, despite the dangers. I sat at the council with Elrond and the others. I scoffed at their concern, branded them fools for wanting to destroy the ring. And now look what has befallen us. Betrayal by those counted friend, my people dying, our lands falling into ruin. All because I failed to see the truth."

Eowyn's eyes filled with tears, tears she knew he'd never let fall. He would not cry for those he had failed, he wouldn't feel himself worthy of it. "Mistakes are a part of life," she whispered, placing a hand on his shoulder.

The king shuddered. "Mistakes such as mine should never have come to be."

For a moment a flare of white hot anger went through the young woman. Those mistakes were not his alone. Their people had listened to the words of Wormtongue, had followed his orders. How many lives might have been spared had she challenged her words? "The fault is not yours to bear alone, uncle. What of our allies? What of the people who watched as we crumbled and waited to pick up the crumbs? What of the Havens, of Gondor? Where were they when their help was needed?"

"The old alliances are no more, niece. They are but shadows floating in the wind. The only help we will receive will be in dying."

The despair she heard in his voice stopped her from protesting. For one moment the truth of what her uncle was doing flashed in front of her. Helm's Deep was a gamble, a last attempt to help a people already too far gone. A gesture that he knew would be too little, too late.

He was taking them there to die.

Before the idea to take hold she pushed it away. They would not die. Patrols of orcs and goblins could take lives, but they couldn't exterminate an entire people. The wildmen could attack from the north, but they would be able to go only so far south before they must return or face the bands of riders that had started their own patrols. Their people would survive. Battered, yes, but still unbroken.

"You should sleep, uncle."

For the first time he looked at her. "I've slept enough for several lifetimes, Eowyn. Tonight I wish to feel alive again."

__

**Jack**…

Jack turned over, trying to ignore the voice calling him. He still had another hour before he had to get up, and he'd be damned if he didn't take it.

**Jack**…

"Fine, fine," he grumbled, rolling out of bed. He looked at his alarm clock. Five- thirty on the mark. He yawned, wincing as his jaw cracked. No matter what he said, he wasn't getting any younger.

Rubbing his head in annoyance Jack padded to the bathroom and turned on the light. He looked in the mirror and paused. 

He wasn't there.

Well, nothing was there. 

"Okay," he looked around the bathroom. Everything was where it was supposed to be. The towel he used that morning was folded neatly on the basket, his toothbrush was still sitting in the holder. Nothing was out of the ordinary, except for the mirror. Jack reached out and touched the surface. It buckled like water before parting, and he found himself floating. No, he wasn't floating, he was flying. Something was pulling him, hard and fast. Mountains passed beneath him, oceans, seas.

**Jack**…

He stopped, hovering somewhere, alone. It was hard to breathe.

He looked down.

"Frodo?"

Yeah, that was him, huddled with Samwise against an outcropping of rock, sleeping. Jack floated closer. No, he wasn't sleeping. The hobbit was wide awake, staring at something in his hand.

Slowly, the hobbit stood, slipping from beside his friend and looking around for something. After a moment, he found it. Just as slowly he walked back to his friend.

**Frodo, what are you doing?**_ Jack screamed the words, but his mouth wouldn't move. He watched as the hobbit slammed the rock into his friends head twice, each blow making a sickening thud in the quiet night, the whole time the dark haired hobbit was smiling._

________

Jack sat up, trying to control his breathing. _Just a dream, Jacky boy_, he thought to himself. His reward for worrying over how the two hobbits were doing without them. Not that he didn't have faith in them. It was just…

He sighed. It was just that they were too innocent. And the ring was strong…too strong…

_None of you can escape…_

Jack closed his eyes.

______________________________________________________________________

Holy shit in a hand basket, she updated!!!!!!!!!!! :::::Writegirl does happy dance:::::

Thank you guys so much for sticking by me!!!!!!!!! I cant believe so many people are into this. Just goes to show the damage a plot bunny can do : ) 

Extra special hot fudge, strawberries, whip cream and Orlando Bloom naked (handcuffs optional) on a mahogany canopy bed with sheer curtains and black satin sheets thanks goes out to nefernetera, Kaitland, Astrida, Kolinshar Jackie-chan Benito, Alexandra, Chibi Mo, DiverSam, HaloGatomon, ember, , Elvaralind, Kits, Shanna, aLeX, Linderhill, Angela, Lady Cinnibar, RebelJaffa, telumiel, rolo-rooni, Kieren da Elf,Terri, Elwen half elven,Fred1451, Katrin and last but definitely not least cid dante for your wonderful reviews. Thanks so much for standing by me through this madness…much glomping for each and every one of you. Thanks to those who've been with me since the beginning and to those who just climbed aboard!!!

Once again, I apologize for the time its been taking me to churn out these chapters over the past few months. I am trying, but I keep getting sidetracked :::::glares at Marla:::::

As always, reviews are much appreciated and worshiped. All are placed on a shrine next to my computer for moral support. All flames will be eaten with soy sauce and rum. If I'm screwing up, let me know so I can fix it, or at least tone it down a little. There a character you think I'm neglecting? I cant fix it if I don't know. 

Now, onto more serious stuff. For those of you who've been watching the Sam/Legolas and approve… do you want lemon? :::dangles a lemon on a string in front of you----- you're getting very sleepy, you eye lids are heavy, you're floating on a light fluffy cloud, now your typing y-::::: Oh, sorry about that. Anyway, do you want lemon? Lime? Just tons of WAFF, or chair melting blush raising madness? Let me know so I'll know how far to drift in the gutter for the next chapters : )


	23. The Road to Helm's Deep

             _You have not escaped me yet, little one. Aren't you tired, weary of your long journey? You belong at home, in your Shire, not here, in this world of men, where friends die in moments. I can take you home, and this can be nothing more than a dream…_

_            Frodo…_

_            Frodo…_

            "Frodo?"

            Frodo opened his eyes. The sun was beating down on him,  he could feel it in his clothes, but it didn't warm his skin. Nothing seemed to warm him anymore, nothing except the Ring. When he held it, he felt as he once did, peaceful, full of hope.

            "Yes, Sam?"

            The red haired hobbit said nothing, only watched his friend for a moment and walked away. He had developed a habit of doing that over the past few days, a habit that Frodo found increasingly annoying. For the first time in days he'd been able to drift into sleep, and Sam had decided to wake him for nothing.

            Before he could say anything he heard the sound of feet running in their direction. Four feet. He sighed. Smeagol must have returned. Since that morning the creature had been unnaturally cheerful, smiling, dancing an odd little jig whenever they stopped. He was plotting something, Frodo was sure of it. The moment he let his guard down Gollum would try to take the Ring from him.

            Smeagol dropped something in his lap, the grin still plastered on his gray features.

"Look! Look! See what Sméagol finds! Ehehe! Hohohhooo! They are young!" he picked up one of the furred animals and bent it in half with a sharp jerking motion. "They are tender, they are nice. Yes they are! Eat them. Eat them."

            Frodo watched with detached interest as their guide bit into one of the rabbits and began eating. A part of him registered that he should be sickened by what  he saw, but he felt nothing. Sam however, felt differently.

            "Make him sick you will, behaving like that," he yelled, pulling the rabbits away from Smeagol. "There's only one way to eat a brace of coneys," he said, carrying them over to his pack.

            It amazed Frodo that here, in the wilds, with no one around to protect them, or even care about what happened to them, that Sam could still have the presence of mind to prepare a meal. He carefully skinned, gutted, and quartered the animals before dropping them into his ever handy cast iron pot, already slung over a fire. While it boiled he walked around, collecting herbs and humming a song Frodo remembered Rose singing as she cleaned the tables at the Green Dragon. He wondered what she was doing, if she'd found someone else since Sam hadn't returned. He thought of Bag End, if the Sackville Baggins's had already moved into his home. He wondered what would be left for him if he ever managed to make it home.

            A whistle broke through his thoughts, followed by a sharp chirp. It sounded like two birds arguing, but they were too far apart. Slowly, he crept away from their small clearing. 

He didn't have to go far.

            _Haradrim,_ he thought as he watched the columns of men marching. How he knew he didn't want to think about, so he content himself by observing their clothing. Everything, even their heads were covered, leaving what he assumed would be a narrow strip over their eyes. 

            Frodo turned at a noise behind him, but it was only Sam and Smeagol. He heard Sam say something, but he wasn't paying attention. He felt anxious, as if he were waiting for something, but didn't know what. The Ring began to throb against his chest." We've got to get moving. C'mon Sam."

            "Mr. Frodo! Look! It's an Oliphant!" Frodo watched as first one, then another of the large creatures lumbered out of the trees. For a moment he was transfixed by the sight. He'd read of them in books, believed they were myths, but there they were. 

            "No one at home will believe this," Sam said, awe plain in his voice.

            Frodo fought down a surge of disgust, then looked around. Smeagol was gone. "Smeagol?"

            Before he could call out again there was the sharp sound of a hawks cry, followed by a whizzing he knew only too well. Screams echoed in the valley beneath them as the Haradrim came under attack from all sides. He watched as arrows flew through the air, always finding a target. Elves? Bilbo had told him of no clans that lived so far southwest. Whoever they were, they were not on the side of the Haradrim.

            _We have to leave…have to…mustn't stay…_

            "We've lingered here too long," Frodo said, fighting down his panic. "C'mon, Sam!"

__________________________________________________________________

                        "Please tell me again why we're doing this."

            Teal'c listened with one ear as Colonel O'Neill began complaining once again bout their traveling. Their morning had started early, but not nearly as early as those who worked in the Hall and in the surrounding town. The announcement had been made at dawn that the city was to be evacuated, with an added warning that the people should carry only those things that were light and could be taken without difficulty.

                        The jaffa looked over their band with a practiced eye. Edoras had uprooted itself well, with everyone ready to travel before the prescribed time. What he hadn't counted on was the number of sick and elderly that the houses had hidden upon their arrival. There were several carts that held those unable to walk, and of those who could move under their own volition almost all were women and young children. 

                        "Does he every stop complainin'?"                  

                        Teal'c looked up at the dwarf, who was currently seated on his horse. "Colonel O'Neill makes it a habit to complain about everything, Gimli. It is his way of relieving the tensions of those around him."

                         The dwarf grumbled. "More like aggravates them to no end."

            Teal'c fought the urge to let a small smile slip out. "And thus they will struggle to pay attention to anything other than his complaints, forcing their attention to become more focused on their surroundings."               

            "That gave Gimli pause. No doubt he was thinking back to al the times when O'Neill had voiced his complaints, and others when he had every reason to complain, but didn't. "Smart man," he finally said.

             It was something that few people realized about the opinionated colonel. When he complained there was nothing to worry about. His sarcasm served two purposes; to disarm and to warn away. It was when the colonel became silent that Teal'c knew something was very wrong.       

            "Indeed." 

             Gimli was about to say something else when he paused. Teal'c turned to find Eowyn had left Aragorn's side and was moving towards them.  

            "Good day, Teal'c, Gimli," she said, nodding to each of them in turn. Teal'c nodded back. Unlike the other women who worked in the hall, Eowyn had refused to use either horse or car. It showed in the rosy tone of her cheeks and a slight breathlessness.  

            She smiled. "IT would seem I have bothered all of your companions, but managed to miss both of you," she said cheerfully as she fell into step on the other side of Gimli's horse.

            Gimli smiled brightly. "I don't see how you could bother anyone, Lady Eowyn."

            She laughed. "Oh, I assure you that I will before we reach Helm's Deep. In the meantime, I have several things that I've always wondered about dwarves, if you are willing to tell me." She turned to Teal'c. "And afterwards I would like to learn something about your people as well, Master Teal'c. I have heard many strange and interesting tales from Colonel O'Neill about your home."

            Gimli puffed up like a bird. "Certainly, young lady. What would you like to know?"

            Teal'c half listened to Gimli's explanations of dwarvish customs and practices, most of which were interesting, though there were some that seemed  completely unnecessary. Like their desire for gold and precious jewels. He believed that just as in Moria, that desire would lead to their downfall.

              "Whoa!" The sudden burst of energy had the jaffa's hand going to his swords, but it was nothing but Gimli. The horse had finally followed its instincts and decided to buck its rider. For more than an hour Teal'c had watched the animal snort every time Gimli so much as moved on its back. Perhaps it didn't find his rendition of dwarvish history as entertaining as Eowyn did.

              "It's all right! It's all right. Nobody panic. That was deliberate. It was deliberate," Gimli shouted the words as he picked himself up off the ground.

            "I told him he needed to become more sure before he rode a horse alone," Legolas said wearily as they watched Eowyn help the dwarf right himself. The horse, for his part, waited patiently next to them. "Dwarvish stubbornness."

            Colonel O'Neill humphed. "Yeah right. You gonna walk over there and tell him I told ya so?"

            Teal'c was familiar with that tone of voice. Usually he found it was directed at him, but more and more often it was aimed at the elf. Perhaps the colonel had found someone who annoyed him just as much as the jaffa did. 

            The rest of the day remained uneventful, and soon enough they were stopping to make camp for the evening. Once again, the people of Rohan proved as adept as setting up a dwelling as they were at taking them down. In less than an hour small lean-tos dotted the area, each housing two or three families. The watch had been established, and rations of dried meat, bread, and cheese were distributed. The exhaustion of traveling nearly twenty miles had exhausted most, and only the truly hearty remained awake to talk.

            "You seem unsettled, Master Teal'c," Aragorn said as he stood next to the jaffa.

            "I was informed that we would not be allowed to stand watch with the rest of the men," Teal'c answered, letting a hint of his displeasure creep into his voice. It seemed unnecessary to prevent all those who could assist in the guarding of the people from doing so. He'd simply been told to rest, as they had a long journey ahead of them and would be starting out at dawn.

            "And that is why you have claimed this hillock for you own?"

            Teal'c nodded. The small hill they stood on gave them a good view both into a valley behind them, and over the camp itself. Try as they might, it was difficult  to get a jaffa to do something he had no desire to do. 

            Aragorn turned to the south. "Gimli and Legolas have decided that they should watch from that end, to make sure nothing slips past the Rohirm."

            "And you?"'

            Aragorn smiled and placed a hand on Teal'c's shoulder. "I am going to take the invitation offered and sleep this night. We can never be sure when we'll have the chance again," with that he walked back to the camp, skirting along its outer edges until he found a spot on a small slope.

            Teal'c sighed, and kneeled in the tall grass. His symbiote was less than pleased with him. In the days they tracked Merry and Pippin he had been unable to enter a state of kel-no-reem, and the few precious hours he'd managed the night before had been helpful, but not nearly enough for his symbiote to be satisfied. It struck him as amusing at times, that the larva within in would be picky about the amount of time it was allowed to fix its host. He never attempted to tell himself it was out of any particular emotion towards him that it did these things. He was its host, and it was in the larva's best interest for its host to be as healthy as possible.

            _1000 bottles of beer on the wall, 1000 bottles of beer. You take one down and pass it around…_

            Colonel Jack O'Neill was bored. And for those who knew him, that was a dangerous thing indeed. A bored Jack could find trouble in ten seconds flat when he put his mind to it, on or off world. At the moment, he had already found his target for the evening.

            "Hello Danny-boy."

            To his credit, Daniel didn't jump at the voice behind him. Not that much anyway. The colonel hated to admit it, but their time on the road had done wonders for the archeologists disposition. When his friend sneezed Jack sighed.

            It hadn't done squat for his allergies though.

            "Here," he said, handing Daniel his handkerchief. 

            "Thanks," came the congested reply. 

            Jack winced as Daniel proceeded to blow his nose, the sound harsh in the relative quiet of their camp. 

            "Tryin ta alert the pack of our whereabouts?"

            Daniel glared, then pocketed the piece of cloth. Jack wouldn't have taken it back anyway. "No. It's these plains, they're making my allergies worse than normal."

            Jack settled down next to his friend, grimacing as his knee twinged. Yep, he was definitely feeling his age. "Should have kept some of that elvish stuff, it seemed to keep you healthy."

            Daniel nodded. "I wish we could take a sample back with us. I'm sure it has amazing properties."

            The colonel looked out into the darkness. Of all of their small party, Daniel was the only one who still seemed to believe that they were going to get back to their world. He himself had given up somewhere between Moria and Lorien. Their chances of getting back to earth were about the same as Teal'c bursting out in a aria from _La Traviata_. "About that, Daniel-"

            "The stars out here are wonderful," his friend cut in. Jack recognized that tone all too well. It was the 'don't-try-and-tell-me-what-I-don't-want-to-here-because-I'm-not-listening-anyway' tone that the archeologist had perfected over the years of their friendship.

            Jack looked up. "Yeah, reminds me of my cabin."

            "I used to sit under skies like this when I was a kid," Daniel said. "In the desert it was wonderful; no city to create light pollution, no loud noises. Just you can the stars. It was easy to understand why the Egyptians believed that the stars were the souls of the dead, you could almost reach out and touch one they were so bright," he turned to the colonel, his blue eyes sparkling.

            O'Neill raised one eyebrow. "You hittin on me, Daniel?"

            The two burst out laughing, drawing the attention of a soldier standing guard a short distance away.

            "No," the younger man stuttered, then more forcefully when he had stopped chuckling. "No. You're not my type."

            Jack snapped his fingers. "And here I thought you were waiting for me to make the first move. Ah well, back on the market I go."

            The resignation in the other man's voice had them laughing again. It felt good to laugh like that again. It had been weeks since they'd had anything to laugh about.

            "Will you two chambermaids keep it down over there!" Gimli grumbled from his pallet a good twenty feet away. "Some people are tryin ta sleep!"

            The shouted words only made them laugh harder, and when a small rock sailed through the air and landed squarely on Gimli's helmet they nearly choked. Jack looked around and saw Legolas, looking entirely too innocent in the dim light, staring in the opposite direction, hands firmly beneath his armpits.

            "Dang and blast it all! It was the elf, I know it!" the dwarf sat up and glared around the camp. "I'll get ya for that, ya pointy eared menace!"

________________________________________________________

            As Arwen walked she let her mind wander, barely able to follow the faint glow that came from her fellows. Her father's words rang in her ears, deafening in the unnatural silence of Rivendell. In all her memory the small valley had never been so quiet. Even the normal sound of insects was gone, as if in silent requiem for the passing of the elves. For weeks such small groups had been leaving, heading for the Gray Havens, where ships waited to take  them to the Undying Lands to the west. Now only a few remained, among them her father. It was their duty to make sure that their home returned to the forest that had shaped it. 

            The  young elf slowed, waiting until her friends and family passed before  her, then turned around. In the half light she could make out the path they had taken. Not a footprint showed their passing.  

            'So we leave without a trace,' she thought, looking up. The column of elves moved through the woods like ghosts, disturbing nothing, leaving no evidence of their movements. She had once taken pride in their ability to do so, to not disturb the world around them or mar its beauty. Now the thought filled her with sadness. They would leave no trace of their existence, no reminder that they had lived in this world. What would become of their forests when they were gone?

Would they be cut down like so many others, used for lumber and firewood?  The trees mourned their passing, nodding their great heads and singing a song of woe and loss. In all her years she would never have imagined that they would abandon the world. Even as the rest of Middle Earth left them to their own devices, she believed she would spend her long life among its trees and animals. Now she would live her life far from everything she knew. Her grandmother had told her tales of the Undying Lands, of a place where light always shined, where the land was untouched by human hands. Beauty and peace awaited all those that made it to those shores. All elves, anyway. Humans had long ago lost the ability to find them, the price of attempting to wage war on the Valar. 

            _  I t  was a  dream , Arwen , _she cringed as the words echoed through her mind .   A dream . He had been so cold that day , distant in a way she would never have believed .   But for all his cold demeanor and words she could feel his heart breaking . He released her from their promises, their plans, knowing that he might not survive the journey. And   if he did, what would be their fate then? She would outlive him, outlive his kingdom . As   they crumbled to dust she would be unchanged, forever grieving, forever lost in her own   sorrow. 

             "Our fates are our own, granddaughter. No one can see all ends," her grandmother spoke those words to her days ago, trying to offer what comfort she could. When Arwen had asked her fate, the other woman had refused say anything, other than it was better to not tempt fate, rather than risk its wrath. 

            "Aragorn," she whispered, clutching at the small pendant she wore. It was his first present to her from many years ago, when he had been young in heart, but not in mind .   It was the smallest of anison blossoms. He'd left the star shaped flower on the window sill of her room, the pale lavender petals running to royal purple as they neared the center of the flower, the whole shining with the faint light of the moon. He'd avoided her for a week after  that, and she'd had it encased in crystal so the blossoms would never fade. She wore it now, just as he wore her star jewel, as a memory to what they had once had. And would have again if the fates willed it so.

She could still feel the imprint of her fathers eyes on her back, willing her to heed his advice and go to the Havens,  to not doom herself to the fate that awaited her if she remained in Middle Earth. Begging her not to condemn herself to the pain of loving a human, of having to life with the agony of loss once she outlived him. And outlive him she would. She may choose to live in the world of men, but her blood would announce her heritage when those around her aged and she remained the same, growing more beautiful as they grew older, frailer. 

            Asfaloth whinnied next to her, drawing her attention back to the present. She was standing at the lip of the valley. Behind her lay her past, and ahead a future.

            _Our fates are our own…_

Arwen looked deep into the trees lining their path. She could see Aragorn there, clear as a summer day. She looked closer and the scene expanded. Her love was there, yes, but he was older, gray strands shot through his dark hair. As she watched he turned and swooped up a small boy that had run to him, smiling and turning circles with the child in his arms. Silver glinted at the boys neck, and he turned to her with serious eyes so like her own.

            "Arwen?"

            She turned her eyes to her brothers. Both were watching her expectantly with the same inscrutable expressions. The three had fallen behind the group, and it took her a moment to realize that they were at the borders of Rivendell. Her thoughts had occupied her for longer than she imagined.

             "No once can know all ends, Arwen. What fates we have we make for ourselves," her grandmother's words rang in her ears. Her fate was in her hands. Had she not spoken similar words to Aragorn before he left?

            Arwen let her hand drift to her saddlebag, feeling the slight lump there. Without another word she took out a bundle and handed it to her brothers. "Find him, and give him this. He will need it soon."

            Before her brothers could say anything she turned Asfaloth and started back to Rivendell. She needed to know if what she had seen was true, if her father had lied to her. 

_            What fates we have we make for ourselves._

             They had their fate, and she was setting out to make her own. 

___________________________________________________________

THANK YOU  THANK YOU THANK YOU  so much for reading this!!!! Special thanks goes out to everyone whose reviewed this story, and its too late at night for me to even attempt to put down all your names, but you know who you are!!!!!!!

Real big apologies for letting this story sit for as long as it has. Real life sucks sometimes, and I couldn't find anytime to work on this for the past four months or so. Hopefully, now that I have regular internet and time I"ll be able to update much more regularly.

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	24. Starlight Conversation

            Sam woke with a start. She'd been dreaming about…something. The harder she tried to remember, the further the memory slipped. She remembered sand…and jaffa… and wondered if it was one of her memories, or one of Jolinar's. The more time passed the harder it was becoming to distinguish between the two.

            _Well, while I'm awake, _ she thought as she stood. Dozens of other women and children were huddled with her in a large tent, which itself was little more than a piece of canvas stretched over poles. She wasn't complaining though, because it was one of the few places that was actually warm. A pit of coals was in the center, coals that through some miracle continued to give off heat hours after they'd been laid. 

            At the entrance to the tent Sam paused. It was a clear night, and she knew that if it wasn't, they might have been snowed on. A stiff breeze blew through the tent, making her shiver and pull the heavy cloak Eowyn had lended her closer, and wish the hood had pull ties so she could keep her ears from freezing. Steeling herself, she let the flap close behind her and walked towards the bathroom. Or what passed as the bathroom, which at the moment was a large hole dug into the partially frozen ground a short distance away from the camp; close enough to raise the alarm if necessary, but far enough away to not stink up the place.

            That done, Sam began walking around the edges of the camp, hoping for a glimpse of their usually insomniac colonel, or Teal'c, or even Daniel. It had been a while since she'd sat down and talked with them, or joked with them. Their time since loosing the hobbits had been spent either tracking or helping others. Even during the walk to Helm's Deep she'd been pulled away to help the other women in dealing with the children and elderly.

            "I wouldn't have though you'd brave the cold."

            Sam spun around, slipped, and fell on her butt with a muffled "Ow." 

            "Are you all right Samantha?" Legolas kneeled in front of her, concerned. "I didn't mean to frighten you."

            "I'm fine," Sam said, shifting her weight slightly. "That's what the padding's  for."

            He looked confused. "Padding?" 

            Some perverse part of her wanted to reach around and pat _his _padding for clarification, but she fought against it. Air Force officers did not act like that.

            _But your not in the Air Force right now, are you?_

            Great, the Bitch was back. **Didn't I tell you to jump off a cliff and die?**

            _Sure, you just didn't say when. _

            "Never mind," she muttered, fixing herself so she was seated comfortably, or as comfortably as someone could get on permafrost. "I was looking for my team, but I guess they turned in already.

            Legolas nodded. " Your companions decided it would be best to sleep in the tents this night. Aragorn has followed suit, more or less." He gestured to one of the long structures, and she thought she could see a lump awash with steam outside of one of them.   

            " What time is it?"

            The elf looked to the sky. "Past third watch. Four hours till dawn. The changing of the watch must have awakened you."

            When given an easy out. "Yeah." She turned a critical eye to her companion. "Don't you sleep?" the question had bothered her since their first week traveling together. No matter the time, day or night, the elf always seemed to be up and alert.

            "I have. Elves can survive on a handful of hours if necessary."

            "Okay, this is gonna be a weird question, but… do you dream?"

            Legolas settled beside her. "All creatures dream, Samantha, at one time or another."

            "Even if you only sleep for two hours? Consistently?"

            "Yes. Why do you ask?"

            "Because its one of the reasons humans need a lot of sleep." She could feel herself slipping to lecture mode, but couldn't stop. "We need to dream. If we don't we start hallucinating. Our brains decided we need to dream, whether or not we're actually asleep. You see it all has to do with alpha waves in the brain," Sam stopped. There was no way she could explain this to the elf in terms that would make sense. It wasn't even her field. "I'm lecturing. I'll stop."

            "You are embarrassed by your intelligence?"

            "No!" Sam pushed the hood of her cloak back a little, she was starting to get warm. "Most people just get bored listening to techno-babble, umm… in-depth explanation." 

            The two sat in silence for a moment, until Sam couldn't take it anymore. She never was found of companionable silences. "Pretty night," she said, gesturing with one hand to the stars.

            "The Valar have graced us with clear skies these many weeks." He looked up at the stars. "They think well of our journey."

            "Gandalf tried to explain your theology to me, I just wasn't paying attention. Who are the Valar?"

            Legolas smiled. "They are the spirits who gave Middle Earth its form, who readied the world for the coming of elves and men."

            "And they're still here?"

            He nodded, looking out over the plain. "They watch always, though they do not interfere needlessly. They are our guardians." He turned to her. "The stars are their eyes."

            "A lot of human myths from our world are kind of similar." Sam said, drawing her knees up to her chest. "The stars were the places where the dead went, where they could watch their loved ones. Daniel could probably tell you more about that than I could. I used to stare at the sky for hours when I was a kid, look at the constellations." She looked down and fought the blush moving steadily up her face. What the hell had made her say that? "I haven't done that in years, not since joining the Stargate program." She glanced at the elf, then back to the sky. "The stars are so bright here I haven't been able to find any patterns."

            Legolas looked to the sky and pointed. "Do you see those star, they almost form a wedge. That is _Soronúmë_, the eagle." Sam nodded. The 'wings' were a large V of stars, with two groupings of stars beneath them that could be two sets of talons. With a little imagination she could see it, a giant eagle about to grab the world in mid-flight.

            "Cool."

            "You are not speaking of the cold?" Legolas asked. When she shook her head he smiled. "I have been asking Jack to help me understand your idioms. It is very difficult."

            Samantha laughed. "You should ask Teal'c, he's been trying to get it right since we picked him up."

            The elf nodded gravely. "He has been most forthcoming, especially on Jack's insistence on comparing things to his backside. It seems to be a fixation of his."

            It took about two seconds for Sam to get the joke and start chuckling. Another five before she was on her back laughing like a loon.

            "I see the joke worked."

            Sam sat up, wiping tears from her eyes. It felt good to laugh. "Yeah, it did. Did Teal'c put you up to it?"

            "No, he only brought it to my attention," Legolas pushed a strand of hair out of her face. "Your eyes lighten when you laugh, your cares disappear."

            _Bingo, now, jump on him before he gets away! _Sam ignored the voice and forced down a small tingle. He was just being friendly. "Thanks," she said, brushing the remaining hair behind her ear.

            The two sat for a moment, neither speaking, each looking at the other, until Sam broke the silence again. "So, are there any other constellations up there?" she pointed to the sky.

            The elf tilted his head, then turned back to the sky. "_Remmirath, _the sisters, are there," he pointed to a bright cluster of stars. " The legends of my people say there were once the daughters of an elvish lord. Once they were of age he began to arrange for their marriages, but they could not bear to be parted, so Elbereth set them in the skies, to shine together for all time. And there," he pointed to the north. "That is _Menelvagor_, the swordsman."

            Sam had to search for a moment before she found it, and she froze. That was… no, it couldn't be. "Swordsman?" she asked.

            Legolas nodded. "There is his sheath," he pointed to a string of stars. "And there his belt. He holds his sword ready to protect the world from evils without."

            Sam studied it again, counting the visible stars. It was flipped upside down and reversed, and in the wrong part of the sky, but there was no doubting it. She was looking at Orion. She looked back to Remmirath. Seven stars clustered together. It was the Pleiades.

            They were on Earth.

            "Are you all right, Samantha?"'

            Sam shivered, wondering what she should do. She should wake the others and let them know that they weren't on some strange planet light-years away from home. They _were_ home, just not _their _home. 

            _Oh, come on. You wanna break the mood just to let them know something that could wait until morning?_

**They need to know. We're on _Earth _for God sake! What use is a Stargate to get somewhere we already are?**

_Oh, stop whining! Is there a stargate near here?_

**No.**

_Will waking them up do anything other than make them worry about something that cant be changed in the first place?_

**No**

_Then do us both a favor and shut the hell up and let him seduce us!_

**He's not trying to seduce us!**

_Yeah, you keep tellin' yourself that! _

            "Samantha?"

            A soft hand was on her shoulder, and she shook herself. "Sorry, I was just thinking."

            "You appeared to be far away for a moment. Do you think so hard often?"

            _More often than she needs to- _**Will you shut up! **"I get lost in my own head." She touched her temple.  "My dad used to say one day he'd have to send a search party to find me." 

            "I doubt very much anyone would loath the idea of finding you."

            Sam blushed. She was about to say something she knew she'd regret later when there was a muffled shout behind them. Legolas was kneeling in an instant, knife in hand, but it was only one of the soldiers stumbling in the dark. "I'd better go," she said and stood hastily, shaking the worst of the grass from her cloak. "Someone might wake up and worry about me."

            "Good night then, Samantha," Legolas said as he stood and bowed.

            Sam forced herself not to run back to the tent, aware the whole time of his eyes on her. **This is not good, honey. This is so not good. **           

            The only bad part was she didn't know to what she was referring, what she'd just found out, or what she was starting to suspect.

­­­­

            Aragorn watched the two separate and sighed. Legolas watched Samantha until she disappeared into her tent, then turned and walked to the other end of their camp. Trust the elf to waste such an opportunity. 

            "He's a lovesick fool, isn't he?"

            The ranger rolled over. Gimli had used his axe to prop up part of the tent, allowing the warm air to wash over him as he spied on their friends. "Unfortunately one who doesn't know how to listen to his heart, Master Dwarf."

            "Where's the pointy-eared elf now?"

            Aragorn lifted his head slightly and scanned the area. He couldn't see much, stuck between a bluff and a tent. "Probably gone off to convince himself that nothing could have happened, and more importantly that he didn't _want _anything to happen."

            Gimli snorted. "Didn't even have the stones to kiss her, did he?"

            "Legolas is as stubborn as they come, Gimli. Hopefully, he'll come to his senses soon."

            "About as quickly as a mule would," the dwarf muttered. "You plannin' on staying out there all night, or are you going to slip under here?"

            Aragorn crawled back into the tent with a heavy heart. Apparently, their friend was already on the right path, all he needed was a subtle push. 

            Or a good kick in the rear.

            Déjà vu.

            Daniel couldn't remember how many times they had to guide panic stricken people to safety. Behind him he could hear the sound of steel clashing against steel, and was just as relieved to be away from there as he was pissed that Jack thought he couldn't hold his own. Then again, Sam was right here with him, pushing people in the right direction, throwing children onto carts, and he knew she could handle herself.

            Helms Deep was little more than a mile away, and they were ambushed. 

            "Hurry up! Move it!" he pushed a young man to get him moving again before he turned to see what had him frozen. A big _something _had crested the hill behind them and was charging."Sam!" he pulled out his gun and tried to calm himself. _Remember, squeeze, don't pull, _ he said to himself, recalling every lesson Jack had given him on shooting. He had one clip left, he needed to make it count.

            It took four bullets to bring it down, throwing the rider in the process. Whatever it was, it was roughly the size of a bear.

            "Oh, God," Sam was next to him, watching the hill where the men were still battling warily. 

            He pushed her towards the women. "Help them get everyone to the Keep, I'll watch our back."

            She looked like she was about to protest when the sounds of fighting got louder. The battle was coming to them. She nodded and sprinted back to the group. "All right, everybody, lets hustle! Drop everything you don't need!" she started pulling bundles out of one of the larger carts.

            Daniel crouched behind the dead monster and watched the horizon. Twice what looked like orcs tried to head in their direction, but he still had bullets. It wasn't until the gun emptied that he started to worry. He looked behind him. The women were out of sight, hopefully they were at the Deep by then.

            He turned around in time to narrowly miss a sword flying at his head, rolling to the side as the sword came down again. He made a grab for the orcs sword arm, gagging internally at the slick feel of its skin. It kept pushing forward, and he felt himself slipping on the frozen ground. 

            Suddenly, the thing kicked him in the chest, sending him flying backwards as it pulled back, the sword cutting into his face. Daniel rolled and gained his feet again, blinking blood out of one eye and reaching blindly for his long knife. The orc charged him again and he changed tactics, turning to the side and letting the creatures momentum throw them both to the ground with him on  top. He ignored the slicing pain in his side and thrust the weapon as hard as he could at the thing's throat, not releasing his hold on its sword arm until it stopped gurgling.

            Daniel rolled off it, waiting for the sky to right itself. He was still bleeding, and if the warm wet sensation in his side was any indication, he was bleeding from there as well, more freely than was good. The sounds of the battle were fading, and as he closed his eyes he hoped they'd given the people enough time to reach Helm's Deep.

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	25. Spiral

            "Merry?"

            Pip shook his friend slightly, but only got a moan for his trouble. "Merry?" he tried again, but the other hobbit just turned over. Pip didn't blame him. With everything they'd been through the past few days he knew he should be just as asleep, but he wasn't.

             He was still shaking with excitement.

             Pip hadn't believed it when Treebeard dumped them in front of Gandalf like two fat apples. Before he even knew what he was doing, Pip had his arms around the tall man's knees holding on like he'd never let go, and Merry was right next to him.

            _"So eager to see an old friend?" The wizard had asked, amusement in his voice. Pip hugged him all the harder. He was back, Gandalf was back and there was nothing wrong with the world in that moment._

_            "They say they're 'hobbits'," Treebeard rumbled behind them._

_            "And so they are," Gandalf answered, gently but firmly detaching the small hands that held him. "Halflings who are friend to field and dale. I'm glad you found them."_

_            Whatever the ent said was lost in more rumbling. Pip stared up into Gandalf's eyes, wanting to say how sorry he was, how glad he was the Gandalf was back, but the words wouldn't get past his throat._

_            Gandalf kneeled down, his face suddenly serious. "Tears, Master Took? What need have you for tears?"_

            Pip reached up and felt warm wetness on his cheek. Hurriedly, he brushed them away. He looked the wizard full in the face, and froze. Gandalf looked…older. Wiser, yet more tired than he'd ever seen him.

_            "It's good to see you again, Gandalf," Merry said next to him, and Pip nodded in agreement. At least one of them could still talk._

_            Gandalf smiled. "It's good to be seen." He stood again and turned to Treebeard. "I have a task for you, old friend. Watch these two young hobbits, and see that they come to no harm."_

_            Treebeard bent his great head, and Gandalf turned and started to walk deeper into the forest._

_            "Wait!" Pip ran after him and latched onto the staff. "Were're ya goin?" he asked._

_            Gandalf turned to him and smiled. "Places where you cannot follow, Master Took, nor you Master Brandybuck. Don't worry." He laid a gentle hand on the hobbit's head. "I will see you again."_

            Pip looked back to the clearing where the ents were still talking. It was a strange, soothing sound, like how the trees used to creak outside his window when the wind blew. Treebeard had told them about the ents while they were traveling, about how they were the oldest creatures in Middle Earth. Even the oldest of the elves were children to them. The Treebeard told them about the first time an elf had climbed into his branches and began speaking. "Sounded like the chattering of a squirrel, it did," Treebeard laughed. "All fast and excited. Wouldn't leave me alone until I talked back. Wanted to know everything all at once." More than once the ent had talked both him and Merry to sleep with his stories, but he never seemed to mind. He was just start where he left off when they woke up. Pip turned over, pulling his cloak tighter and started to drift off.

            ____________________________

            Gimli was the first to trudge over the hill after the battle. The screams of dying horses echoed too loud in his ears, even though they were being put down. There were times when he thought the Rhohirim cared more for their horses than their own people. He heaved a sigh of relief when he didn't see any victims. So their battle had given the women and children time to reach safety, that was all they could ask. He bent down and examined the body of an orc a little way down the slope. There was a hole beneath it's left eye, but no arrow. Another orc was similar a short distance away, only its neck was a ruined mass.

            "Thanks be to whatever brought down those foul smellin' creatures," he grumbled, stalking towards the body of a wrag. He walked around it, and stopped.

            An orc had a blade sticking out of its neck a few feet away, and a short distance from that….

            "Not you too, laddie," Gimli whispered as he trotted over the Daniel. The boy had a nasty gash running along his eye, indeed, he was lucky to still have it. His breathing was shallow, and he was pale. Gimli kneeled down and paused when his hand met something cold and wet. "Oh, no."

            "Gimli?" Legolas's voice cut through his concern.

            "Over here!" he shouted, lifting his axe and waving it frantically. He turned back to the boy and rolled him over. There was a pool of red beneath him.

            A slender hand reached around him and lifted the boy's shirt. "The wound's deep," Legolas said, his voice grave. "The bleeding has slowed." He pressed his hand to the wound and Daniel thrashed. "He is awake enough to feel pain, that is always a good sign."

            "Gimli, Legolas! What'cha got?"

            The dwarf looked down. "We cant risk the wound openin' again."

            Legolas removed his cloak and swiftly tied it around Daniel's midsection. "That will help for now," the blond elf said as he stood, taking Daniel with him. " Daniel has been injured."

            In moments both Jack and Teal'c were at their friends side. "You couldn't help yourself, could you Danny?" Jack muttered as he gave his companion a swift once-over.

            "He fought well," Teal'c said, stepping past them and removing Daniel's long knife from the dead orc. "He brought down four of their number."

            "That's my boy," Daniel patted his friend's head. "Anybody got any room?"

            Polas, one of the soldiers, rode up and took Daniel, balancing him before him. Gimli didn't know who would fall off the horse first, the unconscious boy or the soldier who looked close to that state himself.

            "He hovers like a mother hen," Gimli said to Legolas as the group began making their way to Helm's Deep. 

            The elf nodded. "Jack has long since shown his concern for his friend, feeling him to be the weakest of their group."

            Gimli laughed. "He showed himself to not be as weak as they thought. Three! Then there's that bedamned monster they were riding…"

            "Wrags," Legolas said absently, his eyes scanning the horizon. "They're called wrags."

            "Whatever," Gimli muttered. His expression turned somber. "Do you think that orc was tellin' the truth about Aragorn?"

            Legolas looked down at his friend, then back to where they fought. "He was not on the battle field, Gimli. There was no where else for him to go."

            "He couldn't have survived a fall like that." Gimli lowered his head. "Poor Arwen, she'll be waitin' for him…" he paused. "You don't think he's dead, do ye? What do those fine elf senses have to say about that?"

            Legolas turned towards the west, then back east. "My heart says he still lives, for how long is anyone's guess."

            Light entered Gimli's eyes. "You're sure?"

            The glimmer of hope faded when Legolas sped up without answering.

            "Wake up sleepin' beauty."

            Daniel cracked his eye slowly, then shut it. That light was _bright._

            "Yo, Danny, go into the light," the voice was thready, mysterious, and Daniel laughed.

            That wasn't his best idea.

            "I think I got the number of the truck this time Jack," he said, his voice strained.

            "Really?" something cold and wet was pressed to his lips, and he opened his mouth eagerly. The water tasted fresh, if a little earthy.

            There was a slight chuckle. "If you only knew the things I've thought about putting in your mouth. I had this pair of gym socks once…"

            Daniel opened his eyes wide. Or at least he tried. Half of his face was bandaged.

            "Thought that'd get your attention."

            Daniel fingered the bandage lightly, and moved the muscles beneath it. He felt the distinct pull of stitches, and he moved the eye around in its socket.

            "Don't worry, you still have both those baby blues," Jack said, settling further back, outside of Daniel's view.

            The archeologist looked around, trying to get his bearings. He was lying on a straw mat in a small stone room. He tried to sit up and winced. _Okay, _he thought as he was guided back down onto the mattress. _That was another bad idea._

            "Take it easy there," Jack said. "You damn near got skewered."

            Daniel felt his side until he found the bulk of a bandage. "I hate to break it to you Jack, but I did get skewered."

            "Aw, that little scratch?" Jack pulled back the blanket covering him. "You'll be on your feet in an hour or so."

            Daniel wished he shared his friends good humor. "Everyone made it all right?" he asked, running a hand through his hair. 

            Jack nodded. "Most all the women and kids. Some of the kids got hurt in all the shuffling towards the gate. A boy fell under the wheels of a cart and broke his arm. Other than that, all hands accounted for."

            "And the soldiers?"

            Jack suddenly found the blanket covering Daniel fascinating. "Twenty died. Eight more are if-y." He nodded, and Daniel followed the gesture until he made out other pallets with women hovering over them. "Aragorn's MIA."

             Daniel sat up, more carefully this time, and hissed at the pain. There were stitches there as well, judging from the pained pull he felt. "MIA?"

            Jack sighed. "One of the orcs said he fell off a cliff, but there's a river under it so it would've been hard to find a body, even if we had the time. We pretty much got our butts kicked."

            Daniel gave his friend a once-over. Jack looked the worse for wear, sporting more than a few new nicks, cuts, and bruises on his face and arms. Two of his fingers were bandaged together.

            "So, what was the truck's number?"

            "Hmm?" Daniel took a deep breath, and willed his head to stop spinning. "Oh, I think it was 897-STINKY."

            Jack grabbed Daniel's arm and helped him to his feet. _There_, Daniel thought as they walked slowly out of the makeshift infirmary, _As long as you're standing, everything's fine._

_            More or less._

            Jack lead Daniel down a series of hallways, and the archeologist found himself intrigued by the many statues and reliefs that lined both sides. The stone looked old, probably had been mined at least two hundred years ago. As they walked they passed people along the halls, all of which had the same determined looks on their faces.

            "Eowyn's been looking after everyone," Jack was saying as the walked down a winding staircase. "Most everyone who isn't helping with the wounded or cooking is outside gathering what food they can. We picked up the bags the women left as they ran, but I don't know how much of it was food. Some of the guards who were stationed here said the Deep has its own gardens and fields, buy they're meant just for the few soldiers usually stationed here, so we'll be pulling it thin for a while."

            "Daniel?"

            Before he could place the voice Daniel found himself pounced on from behind.

            "That's right, Carter, kill him after all the work they did putin' him back together."

            The pressure around his waist was gone instantly, and Daniel turned to find a blushing Sam staring at him, Teal'c coming up more slowly behind her.

            "We were worried when they carted you in," Sam said by way of explanation. "We've been busy helping organize sleeping arrangements and everything else."

            "It is good to see you well, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said. "It has been many hours since Major Carter and I have been able to visit you. Lady Eowyn is a capable leader, as is Theoden, and too few who are used to following orders, and our help was required."         

            "How long was I out?" Daniel looked around. Torches lined the halls, and there were no windows in sight. The Deep must have been built inside a mountain.

            "It's almost night, Daniel," Sam said.

            As if to agree with her words they heard a horn sound, then fall silent, then sound twice more.

            "They are calling the women and men in for the night," Teal'c said. 

            "Yeah," Jack started walking again. "I was taking Daniel to the mess hall for some grub. Anyone care to join us?"

            Grima Wormtongue paced the tower restlessly, rubbing his hands together. Saruman had been too pleased by half as he watched his army march towards Rohan.

            _This night the land will be stained with the blood of Rohan! March to Helm's Deep! Leave none alive! _

            The wizard's words echoed through his mind. He hadn't believed it possible that Saruman had gathered such a force. The stirring up of the Northmen was one matter, but there were hardly enough of them to make up an army, not one the size needed to storm the keep. It wasn't  until he'd seen them, heard their cries as they went to kill his people, that he finally understood what Saruman had planned.

            _When all is said and done, you will rule in Rohan, with Eowyn at your side. Under the guidance of our Lord, of course. _            

            Saruman's words of long ago came back to him. Saruman's promise had been a gift from the gods. Rohan couldn't hope to stand against Sauron and his forces, not once he'd learned that the Ring had been found. That was how Grima had justified his actions. Theoden would have stood against Sauron and brought ruin to their people. They would stand a much better chance of survival standing with Mordor, rather than against it. 

            And then there was Eowyn.

            Saruman had promised Grima the one thing he truly wanted. Leadership of Rohan was nothing compared to her. He had watched Eowyn for years, transfixed as she changed from shy girl to strong woman, though she'd never given him more than passing courtesy. Watching her had become his pastime, his obsession. Everyday she grew more beautiful, and more distant, a star that would remain always out of reach. Yet Saruman had put her in his grasp, all he need do was what he was told.

            _Leave none alive! _

            He'd watched them as they marched, felt tears gather in his eyes and let them pass, unhindered, over his face. In all his years of following Saruman, he would never have believed him capable of this. Helm's Deep would be full of women and children, so very few of the men having remained in the villages and towns, choosing instead to join the many renegade patrols set up to check the movement of orcs across the land. He doubted if they had more than a hundred men, able bodied or not, among those at the stronghold. He had given the white wizard the key to destroying the Deep's defenses, though how the small balls Saruman had smiled over would undo stones more than three feet thick was beyond him. One thing was certain: if they could it would be no battle. It would be slaughter.

            "Oh, Eowyn, what have I done?" Grima whispered to himself. 

            "Go with the grace of the Valar, Haldir."

            Galadriel smiled sadly at her husband's words. Haldir was resplendent in his armor, armor that had not been worn for years almost out of reckoning. He nodded, and joined the forces that were gathered among the trees. A hundred elves, all the forces from Rivendell and Lothlorien, waited silently for the order to march. It was a sight she had not seen for more than an age, and had hoped never to see again.

            _"Amin sinta thaliolle e dagor, Astalderea." _Celeborn's voice rang through the glade, echoing off the ancient trees. "_Quel fara." _

Galadriel forced her voice to be steady. "_Aa' I'sul nora lanne'lle."_

            The trumpeter at the head of the column blew on his golden horn, and the sound tore through her. For a moment she was standing on a tall battlement, drenched with cold rain and deafened by the screams of those around her. Haldir was standing in front of her, and as she watched an uruk'hai raised its axe behind him. She opened her mouth to give a warning.

            But the vision was gone.

            "_Maelamin_?"

            The elf queen came back to herself, her husband staring into her face expectantly. "What has happened?"

            "Haldir…"

            She turned to where the soldiers were just disappearing into the trees, and wanted nothing more than to call them back, to hold onto Haldir and all the others who were to die so soon. 

            Celeborn followed her gaze and let out a long, slow breath, "We knew a time would pass when we would face loosing him."

            Galadriel nodded, even as her heart began to slowly splinter. "It must be done," she said, her voice wavering. "If they have no aid Rohan will fall, and with it half the western lands. They still have a part to play in this." She started walking among the trees, letting the calm of their forest wash over her. Her husband followed.

            "And Frodo?"

            She shook her head. "His path has been set for many days now. It cannot be turned aside."

            Celeborn hung his head. The two walked aimlessly among the trees, their people casting occasional glances at them before leaving their king and queen to their grief.

            After all, it wasn't everyday they sent their son off to war.

A/N 

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for reading this!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

            Special chocolate mousse thanks goes out to ChristalSteele (x24), Wishful Thinking2, ghostgirl, Fror the dwarf-writer, Popples, Kaitland, Chibi Mo, rolo-rooni (x4), cid dante, Crazy Kat, Alexandra3, rogue_angel82, Shanna, SilverCaladan, methrill (x2), Sister of Darkness, Alys, jammchr, gloryfaith, KaliedescopeCat, Misty, ember, lazybones, Lady Cinnibar, HaloGatomon, and Chris Philips (x4) for their wonderful reviews, glomping, and pokes!!!!! I love you guys!!!! and thanks to wertyleigh for pointing out the weird script problem in chapter one.

Oh, and barely interested, I do proofread, quite extensively. When FF.net updated their servers, somehow the data must not have transferred correctly. Ask anyone who read the chapter when it was first posted, there were no mistakes in it.

And random reader, this story has always had SG1/LOTR crossover in its summary line. It's not my fault that you didn't read it before you chose to try the story. Be more careful about things like that if it bothers you.

            Okay, just a few notes before you guys try and roast me alive. On the time thing: Gandalf tells Aragorn to watch for him on the dawn of the fifth day. I made their total travel time to Helm's Deep three days, allowing them one night of peace before the siege. As I don't remember the exact details from the book, and movie time is always truncated, I opted for what seemed to be a little more realistic, considering travel time, the time it would take Saruman's army to reach Helm's Deep after Grima arrived, etc.

            Two, on Haldir being Galadriel and Celeborn's son. As far as I know his parentage is never mentioned in the books. One would assume that since he had such high rank among his people that he's highborn, and prince is about as high as you can get. I also wanted to give more tragedy to Galadriel and her gift because I don't think they really do it justice in either the book or the movie (though the movie does a much better job). Come on, she can see the future but she cant risk interfering, and what's more terrible than sending your child off to war knowing that he's going to die? Sorry, I'm just melancholy like that.

Okay, now for translations of the elvish:

_Amin sinta thaliolle e dagor, Astalderea_      **I know your strength in battle, valiant ones**

_Quel fara                                                    _   **Good hunting**

_Aa' I'sul nora lanne'lle_                                 **May the wind fill your sails**

_Maelamin_                                                      ** Beloved**


	26. The Calm Before the Storm

            Daniel wiped his forehead, fighting the urge to scratch as the ragged gash that ran from his hairline to his jaw. Ever since Aragorn had returned with news of the army headed their way he'd been trying to find ways to help the people prepare for the siege. While castles were hardly his specialty, he had read enough books on basic construction and fortifications of medieval forts to know something. Still, the day was passing, and they needed help.

            Screw that, they needed a miracle.

            "Any luck?" Jack asked.

            Daniel sighed. "This keep isn't designed like European ones, Jack. Their primary defense is the thickness of their walls. European keeps have murder-holes, loops,  barbicans, drawbridges." He looked up from his position kneeling outside the massive gate. " We have a fosse, but this bridge is solid stone."

            "Okay, I'll pretend I know what all those are," Jack said. "But, there's gotta be somethin' you can come up with."

            Daniel nodded. "A few things, actually." He looked up again, this time at the wooden slats in the Deep's wall. 

            Fifteen minutes later he was standing in front of Theodred, who looked more than a little dubious. "Oil?"

            The archeologist nodded. "It's one of the few things I could think of to help. If we could rig large pots of boiling oil, they could be poured on the enemy in case they start breaching the gate. There's nothing but stone there, so we could even set fire to it. Even if we don't have oil, water would have pretty much the same affect."

            Theodred nodded. "Hamar, take Daniel down to the store rooms and see to it that he gets all the oil he needs. Romauld, I want three men to set up the largest cook pots on the battlements. Take all the wood you can to heat them, break chairs if you have to."

            The two men nodded and set off, Daniel at their heels.

            "Our chances seem to be improving, Aragorn, if only slightly," Theodred said without turning. "Have all the women and children gone into the caves?"

            Gamling nodded. "The last  are being sent even as we speak."

            Jack narrowed his eyes at that, and looked around. Uh-oh. "Did you send Samantha down too?"

            Gamling frowned. "The woman who was with you? Yes. She should be there now."

            The colonel's eyes widened. Sam was gonna kill him. "Where's the entrance to the caves again?" 

            By the time Jack managed to make his way to the caves, followed by an amused looking jaffa, ranger, elf, and dwarf, he could feel his ears burning. Sam must have been calling him every name in the book.

            "Listen, I have to tell Colonel O'Neill something important! Let me pass!"

            The two guards at the base of the staircase shook their heads. "Theodred ordered all women and children into the caves, no exceptions."

            Samantha was livid. "You've got about ten seconds to let me pass or-"

            "No threatening the natives, Major," Jack called.

            Sam looked past the two guards. "Colonel, there's something you need to see."

            The caves beneath Helms Deep extended into the mountain were a jumble of huge caverns and cramped tunnels that went on for miles in all directions. They barely took three steps, though, before Sam stopped them.

            "Look." Sam held up a torch to a section of the wall.

            Jack grinned and put his hand on a yellowish crystal outcropping. 

            "Would you two care to explain what's so important about stone?" Aragorn asked calmly. The women had gathered around their small company and were watching curiously.

            The colonel removed his hand and hit the place where it had been with the hilt of his long knife. A section of the yellowish crystal crumbled on impact.

            "You guys know what saltpeter is?"

            "We use it to preserve food," a woman said.

            Jack nodded and began walking around the cave. Sam watched him, a slow smile spreading on her face. "Sir?"

            "Sam, you know how ta make bleach?"

            "So, what's all this ye've been slavin' over?"

            Gimli eyed the table with misgivings. Ever since Samantha had told the colonel about the caves, they'd been talking quietly and hurrying about the keep. Currently, Samantha was sitting in front of a group of bowls and measures, telling two women how to mix their contents, while Jack was kneading a pile of something that looked like clay, while eyeing the remains of one of their communication devices, the result of hours worth of work.

            "That," the colonel said, nodding towards Sam. "Is gunpowder. This." He pointed to the pile in front of him. "Is homemade plastic. Always knew that tube of Vaseline would come in handy one day."

            "Plas-tique?"

            The colonel's eyes lit up. "Yeah."

            "And what does it do?" Legolas asked.

            Jack smiled. "Sam, demonstration."

            The blonde looked up. "What?"

            "Demonstration. Just a little one."

            Sam picked up one of the bowls of finished product and went to an empty corner of the room. The dwarf watched as she poured a small pile of the black powder onto the floor.

            "That's it?" he asked.

            Sam walked to the fireplace, picked up a small cinder with a pair of tongs, and tossed it onto the pile.

            The resulting blast was deafening in the small room.

            "No, that's it," Jack said, fighting the urge to wiggle a finger in his ear to help with the ringing.

            "They're both explosives, though Jack's is more dangerous," Sam explained. "We're filling small jars with gunpowder and metal shavings and using hay as a simple fuse. When they explode, it'll send shrapnel into the enemy."

            "Not fun," Jack muttered.

            "And what will your material do, Jack?" Legolas asked.

            The colonel shrugged his shoulders. "Blow up, I hope.. You got the detonator ready, Sam?"

            Sam handed him a small cloth bag, and the companions watched as he carefully set it inside the radio then set the whole on top of one of the blocks of explosive. That done, he pressed the remaining material on top of it.

            "Whew," the colonel said, wiping the sweat from his face. 

            Legolas looked puzzled. "Why were you so nervous?"

            Jack stretched. "Because that bag contained gunpowder. If any got on the plastic, we'd all be toast right now." He sighed at their confused expressions. "Dead, guys."

            "So why'd ya do it?" Gimli asked.         

            "Because that's the primer. I send a current through the radio, it ignites the gunpowder, and that makes the plastic go boom."

            The elf and dwarf looked to Samantha, who nodded. "Really big boom," she said.

            Jack stripped off the thick gloves he'd borrowed. "Those things'er worthless now," he sighed. "Like the table. So, why're you guys here?"

            The expressions on the two warriors faces became solemn. "It is time," Legolas said.

            Jack backed away from the table. "You got everything ready Sam?"

            She nodded and hefted one of the bags full of small jars. "This is the load."

            "Good. Teal'c."

            The jaffa stepped forward silently and took the bags from Sam and the two other women.

            "Teal'c, what-?"

            "I want you in the caves, Sam," Jack's voice was low.

            "Colonel?"

            The colonel folded his arms and gave her a hard stare. "I need someone I can trust down there, to keep everyone under control, and herd them out if you have to."

            "But sir, they have kids manning the walls. I could-"

            "Nope, not this time. I need you to do this, Major."

            Samantha swallowed some of her anger. She knew his tone. She'd just been ordered to do what he said.

________________________________________________________________  
  


            **This is so unfair.**

            Samantha watched as Aragorn stormed out of the armory. Legolas was right, they were going to die. After sending the Alma and Feya back down to the caves she headed up to the armory, wearing a pair of oversized britches and a long shirt. Hopefully, in the confusion she wouldn't be noticed.

            "What'er you doin' here, Sam?"

            Carter's heart sank as the cool words washed over her. Caught before she could even grab a sword. She turned and squared her shoulders. "I'm arming up."

            "No, you're not," Jack answered setting down a gauntlet he'd been in the process of putting on. "We discussed this. You're going to help the women and children get out if we're overrun."

            Sam ignored the sharp hint of impatience in his voice. "We need everyone who can fight fighting, not babysitting, sir."

            "This is not up for negotiation, Sam. Get back to the caves ricky-tick."

            "But colonel-" Sam glanced at Teal'c and Daniel, both of whom were watching her with the same expressions. Gimli wouldn't meet her eye, busying himself with checking the edge of his axe. They wanted her to hide.

            "You bas-"

            "Don't say something you'll regret, Sam," Jack's voice was deadly serious.

            "They've got twelve year olds with no experience carrying swords and lances, but you don't want me to join in because I'm a woman," Samantha said. "What kind of bullshit is that?"

            "That's a simple order, Major," Jack's voice caused a second silence in the armory.

            "The hell it is!"

            Before she could say anything else the colonel had latched onto her upper arm and was pulling her outside. For a moment she was so surprised that all she did was follow. The only other time he'd ever done something like that was to push her through a wormhole, usually when a buttload of jaffa were on their tails.

            "Listen up, major."

            The sheer seriousness with which the words were spoken stopped the complaint that was on her lips. 

            "I need you down there, Sam. I'm not gonna lie. This has _everything _to do with you bein' a woman, all right._ No one_, including every single man in that room, wants you on the front lines. I want you in the caves, so you can get everyone out when they break through."

            Samantha was about to rip him and everyone else up one side and down the other when her mind latched onto a single word. "When" they break through, not "if", but when.

            "You don't think you'll make it, do you?"

            Jack smiled wryly. "You heard the elf. 300 men and a few hand grenades aren't gonna do much against 10,000. This is the Alamo, Sam. Thankfully, we have a back door. The plastic is still in that storeroom. I want you do take it, and if you so much as feel like an orc's comin' down those stairs, you blow it. If it goes off, it should give you enough time to get through the mountains. Eowyn's great Sam, but I want the person who can run two hundred and thirteen scared shitless people through a 'gate with a deathglider bearing down on her in control."

            Sam flushed at the praise, even as she rebelled against the thought of hiding. "Yes, sir," she said, then. " Good-"

            "Nope." Jack shook his head. "No goodbye's, you'll make my mascara run."

            Sam nodded, and looked over his shoulder, where Daniel and Teal'c were standing, watching. Daniel looked sad, while Teal'c had his usual impassive expression, softened only slightly in concern. 

            "Don't get killed," she whispered, and turned before she did something stupid, like started crying. As she walked through the keep she thinking about what was happening. She was a soldier, she was supposed to be in situations like this, not sitting on the sidelines waiting to get killed by some smelly-

            "Samantha."

            The soft voice broke through her anger and she turned. Legolas was standing a short distance away.

            "Yeah?"

            _Whoa, he looks nervous._ At the moment Sam had to agree. The elf did look nervous.

            "I wanted to wish you well." Legolas walked forward until he was standing in front of her. 

            "Thanks," Sam fought the urge to back away. He was _way _too close. "You too."

            The elf looked confused at her answer for a moment, then continued. "Samantha, I wanted you to know-"

            "NO." Sam put up a hand and winced at the harshness in her voice. "No last minute bearing of the souls. Bad luck." _What the hell do you mean "no?" We've been waiting for this for nearly a month!!!!! _The **Bitch **was screaming in the back of her head, but she ignored it. Men who got involved with her met very bad ends. She was determined not to let that happen to him.

            Sadness swept over the blonde elf, then she seemed to gather himself. He reached into his shirt. "I want you to have this."

            Before she could protest he had placed a small object in her hand, curling her fingers around it. Puzzled, she opened her palm.

            The stone was blue, almost the exact shade of his eyes. It was carved into delicate indigo vines enclosing a single clear leaf that shined slightly in the dim light.

            "It was given to me by my mother," Legolas said as she examined the pendant. "I have carried it with me always. I want you to carry it now."

            Sam was speechless. She kept looking from the jewel to Legolas. Finally, she found her voice. "Thank you."

            He nodded and started back down the hall. 

            "Wait!" Sam walked hurriedly to where he was standing, watching her. She reached into her shirt. "Here." She held out her dog tags, which he examined curiously.

            "See that?" she moved the two pieces of metal to the side, revealing an oval piece of apple green jade. "My dad gave that to my mom on their wedding day, and she left it to me. It's always brought me luck." She held her hand out to him.  "I want you to have it." She turned her hand upside down, waiting to drop it into his palm.

            Instead, he closed his hands gently around hers. "Thank you."

            Samantha was about to pull away when she found herself on the receiving end of a kiss. And not a bad kiss either. For the barest of moments the walls, the keep, everything faded into the background. She could taste spring, feel grass beneath her feet, smell the wetness of a river bank and loam.

            It was over far too soon for her liking, and she found herself staring up at the elf as he backed away.

            _"Cormamin niuve tenna' ta elea lle au,'"_ he said quietly before once again walking back out of the keep.

            Sam watched him until he turned around a corner, then started to the workroom. By the time she got to the caves she still only had only one thought running through her head.

            _Wow._

            On that, she and the **Bitch **were in total agreement.

HOT DAMN!!!! She finished another chapter!!!! Sorry about the delay between chapters. I spent a month in a place with no MS word, or any other word programming file, and a refuse to submit a single block of text. Updates should come a little faster now that I'm back home.

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_Cormamin niuve tenna' ta elea lle au                   _**My heart shall weep until it sees thee again **


	27. Helms Deep

            "Samantha, what are you doing here?"

            Sam glanced over her shoulder. Eowyn was standing there, watching her with concern. "Remember what I said about the glass ceiling?"

            Eowyn nodded.

            Sam grimaced. "It seems it exists everywhere. I'm supposed to stay here and look after everyone in case we lose."

            "But you are a warrior," Eowyn came to stand next to her. "You should be manning the walls with everyone else. It is what you have trained for."

            "Yeah," Sam grunted as she applied more pressure to the plastic, attempting to jam it into a small crevice without dislodging anything… or making it blow up. "Tell them that. We're both in the same boat." Finally, she straightened and examined her handiwork.

            "What is that?"

            Sam patted the stone above the crevice. "Our saving grace, if it works." She turned back around. The women and children were gathered near the mouth of the cave, all watching the stairway expectantly. "You know where the path through the mountains is, right?"

            Eowyn pointed. "It is hidden in the many tunnels further in. It leads to the mill road that runs west."

            "Good. I need everyone to wait there. If you hear an explosion, start running. Here," she handed Eowyn three of the small homemade grenades. "Throw these down the other tunnels when you run, after lighting them. I've timed the fuses," she fingered a small patch of straw. "The length should give you five seconds after lighting them before they go off. Just roll them down the tunnels and run.  It should keep the orcs from picking up your scent."

            Theodred's niece took the grenades, eyeing them warily. "And what of you?"

            Sam held up her radio. "The batteries fading fast. I'll need to be very close to make sure the charge goes off."

            Eowyn's eyes widened. Ala and Frea had told them of the power of the weapons they created. "And if you are too close to them?"

            Carter smiled. "I'll have to make sure I'm not too close then, huh?"

            "Jack?"

            "Yeah?'

            "Why don't I get to hide in the cave?"

           Jack laughed, looked as his friend, and laughed some more. He hadn't had anything to laugh at all day. "You wouldn't want the men to think you're chicken, would ya?"

           Daniel looked down the row of elves standing next to them, then down at the orc army that was swiftly approaching across the flat plain in front of the Deep, then back at the elves. "Can I get back to you on that?"

            Daniel sighed as Jack chuckled again. This was really too much. Five years ago he'd been a simple archeologist, whose biggest concern had been where he was going to get more funding, and graduate students, to continue digging at a sight south of Cairo. He wasn't meant for this king of stress, he really wasn't.

            "Do you wish to hide from battle, Daniel Jackson?"

            Daniel turned to the jaffa, who was watching him with mild concern. "Jack, how do I answer this question?"

            The colonel shook his head. "Oh no, you poked this tiger, you deal with it."

            Daniel sighed. "No, I wouldn't."

            "But did you not say-"

            "Yes, I did," Daniel interrupted, drawing the attention of the elves closest to him. "It was a hypothetical question. Meaning I really wouldn't want to hide from battle."

            Teal'c did raised eyebrow #15, the 'I-really-don't-belive-you-but-i-wont-say-anything-because-I'm-more-scary-when-I'm-quiet'one. Daniel sighed deeper.

            "How's the gash doin'" Jack asked after another moment of silence.

            Daniel touched the sides. "Tender, stings like a sonofabitch. Other than that, fine."

            The three went back to watching the orcs as they marched. He guessed he felt like the Syrians when they watched the armies of Ramses march towards their stronghold. It didn't seem to end, just a black wave moving through the night. "Sam should be up here," he half whispered.

            "Eh, she's right where she needs to be," Jack countered, his voice hardening. "Those women don't have half the experience she does. PLUS she's the only one I'd trust to set off that plastic and not kill everyone down there."

            "You think it will actually work?"

            Jack shrugged. "Don't know. Hopefully they won't have to find out." He looked back at the columns of orcs and took a deep breath. "Yo, Legolas, you still got that bet goin'?"

            The blonde elf turned and looked down the line at his companions. "Yes, Jack."

            "Care to add another person to the pool?"

            Legolas smiled, his eyes lightening in his amusement. "If you wish. What would you bet? Gimli has promised me his best battle axe."

            Jack's grin turned feral. "How about a trip through the Stargate, if we ever find it?"

            The blonde considered for a moment, then nodded. "It is done." He looked down into the fray. "It will be difficult. Gimli and I are already in our forties."

            Jack nodded as a flash of lightening lit the sky, followed closely by another. "You ready for this Danny-boy?"

            Daniel nodded, trying to calm the butterflies that were steadily attempting to escape his stomach. Being in battle with guns was one thing. Fighting creatures stronger than humans with nothing but bows, arrows, and swords was another.

            "Good, then you wont mind going up to the top of that Hornburn thing."

            Daniel started. The Hornburn was the position closest to the inner hall of the Deep, the place were the oldest men and youngest boys were stationed so they could make a hasty retreat if the orcs broke through. "Yeah, Jack. I would."

            The colonel turned to his friend. "Non-negotiable. Carter gets stuck in the caves, you get stuck in the rear. Besides, they might tip the oil too soon, then where will we be?"

            "Colonel O'Neill is right, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c cut in. "You are injured, and unfamiliar with hand to hand combat. It would be better if you were not upon the front of the battle."

            Daniel opened his mouth to protest.

            "You don't go, we'll carry you."

            The archeologist admitted defeat. Jack would too, if he thought it was worth it. "Good luck," Daniel said, clasping his friend's shoulders tightly before working his way to the Hornburn.

            Jack watched as the arrows made their way over his head and onto the battlefield. In the dim light he saw orcs falling, heard their screams as they were stuck by the falling arsenal. "Whoa."

            "Are you prepared for this, O'Neill?"

            Jack glanced at Teal'c before turning back to the field, wincing as an arrow shot through the neck of one of the orcs. "Not really, no." He smiled. "You?"

            "A warrior is always prepared to die."

            Great, leave it to Teal'c to make you feel bad during the worst battle you'd ever seen in your life. "Ready, Big Guy?"

            Teal'c nodded, and Jack thrust the straw fuse into a small oil burner in front of them. The straw caught and burned steadily. "One-Mississippi, two-Mississippi."

            Jack threw the grenade, and it exploded just over the heads of the orcs, some of them fell clutching their upper arms and legs. The shrapnel was definitely a plus. "One second Teal'c."

            The colonel smiled to himself as the next volley of grenades exploded on the ground, tearing holes in the lines of the orcs. The elves paused in their firing occasionally as an exceptional blast lifted a few of the orcs off their feet.

            _Damn,_ Jack thought as their supply began to run low. So far they had kept a section of the wall relatively free of the orcs. Further down, they weren't doing so well.

            "Perhaps we should have given those further down a share of our weapons, O'Neill."

            Jack shook his head. "And have them blow their arms off? No way. Besides, we're covering things pretty well here."

            Unfortunately, the orcs were learning swiftly. Soon, the section in front of the wall they were protecting was free of any orcs.

            "Oops, time to move." The two hefted the grenades further down the wall, stopping near Gimli and Legolas. "You guys need help?"

            "You take those things away from here!" Gimli shouted. "He's already been boasting about how many he's got, and I'll be damned if those orcs don't make it up this wall!"

            Jack shrugged and began throwing grenades again, despite Gimli's protests. _Gotta love field artillery._

            Too soon their supply ran out and Jack sighed. Well, they had a good run.

            "If you two are quite finished," Gimli yelled from his position down the line. "Here they come!"

            Jack turned his attention back to the battle. The orcs were raising huge ladders, already manned. The colonel pulled his two long knives out and held them ready. _You owe me God, _he thought as the first orc jumped down almost on top of him. _It's time to pay up._

__________________________

            Teal'c soon lost track of the colonel in the mêlée. The orcs were pouring onto the walls faster than they could cut them down. Fortunately, they were also extremely easy to dispatch, capable mostly of  swinging their weapons wildly in the hopes that they would hit something. Compared to the jaffa's smooth practiced movements it was pathetic.

            The only thing that bothered the warrior was their numbers. Aragorn had been accurate when he estimated them to be at least ten thousand strong. Even if every man on the walls killed at least twenty orcs, there would still be thousands more to deal with. 

            _Great Isis, Mother of all,_ Teal'c thought as the orcs continued to swarm over him, invoking the one goddess that the Goa'uld seemed to fear. _Look well upon our battle tonight_. Even though the jaffa was not normally prone to prayer, the thought brought him some measure of comfort.

________________________________

_            Oh, shit, Oh, shit, Oh shit, _Daniel thought as he watched the orcs swarming over the walls, fighting with the flashing gold that was the elves and the duller colors that signified the humans from Rohan. Some of the boys standing near him were shooting arrows and throwing rocks, cheering when the missiles hit a target. Daniel occupied himself mostly with stirring the oil and making sure the fires were as hot as possible. Two large pots were set up along the upper walls, prepared to drop oil down on the orcs if they broke through the main gate. Another, small pot was set up above the door to the keep proper, their last resort.

            "Good luck, guys," he whispered, then looked around when a shout caught his attention.

            "Legolas! Bring him Down! Kill Him!"

            Daniel searched the crowd of orcs for Aragorn, then he was knocked backwards by a sound he never would have thought to hear in Middle Earth.

____________________________________________________

            Sam looked up, ignoring the worried cries of the women and children as the cave shook and groaned. Even though they were deep within the caves the noise from the blast echoed deeply. It sounded like a couple of claymore mines, or a construction blast.

            "Eowyn," she pushed through the crowd of people till she located the blonde woman. "Start leading the women into the tunnels. If you hear another loud blast, light the grenades and throw them down as many tunnels as you can."

            "What of you?" The other woman asked, her eyes filled with worry.

            "Don't worry about me. You need to get them out of here." Sam spun around and began picking her way through the uneven floor of the cavern, detonator in one hand, long knife in the other. Eowyn had provided her with chain mail, and would give her enough protection to keep fighting and let the other women escape if the orcs made it through.

            Thankfully, there were no more large blasts. Sam checked the plastic to make sure it was till in its niche. That done, she stood behind one of the rock outcroppings and waited for them to come.

            "I wont let you stand alone, Samantha."

            Sam glared at the blonde as she made her way towards her. "You're supposed to be in the tunnels," she hissed.

            Eowyn only smiled. "I am a warrior as well, Samantha. I would not leave a fellow shield maiden behind to face death alone." She pulled her sword from its scabbard and threw the empty piece of leather to the cave floor. Her thick skirt was gone, and the thin under shift had been sliced off almost at mid-thigh. Even her hair had been braided back. 

            "Then whose leading the women?"

            "Gwylin knows the path as well as I do. They will be long gone from here before this battle has ended." Eowyn moved behind another outcropping and kneeled.

            Sam turned her attention back to the staircase. If she was going to die, at least she'd have company.

____________________________________________________

            "Pour!"

            Daniel smiled to himself amid the hissing of hot oil meeting skin. It had been hell trying to keep the oil from splattering everywhere when the rain started, not to mention keeping the fires going high enough to heat the pots. Just listening to them scream was reward enough. The orcs hadn't seen that one coming. Those that hadn't been burned slid down the bridge, knocking down the others like dominoes.

            "To the keep! To the keep!"

            Daniel turned and saw the elves that had been fighting in the inner bailey. They climbed up the short ramp, and all those who had been able to made it. He knew that those doors were nearly impossible to penetrate, and even then were designed so that at the flip of a lever tons of stone and rubble would block them.

He looked down again and saw the gates give way under the orcs' onslaught.

"Again!"

The second vat went, pouring more oil on the orcs that had managed to climb back up. He could see orcs heading down the wall, the elves and men running ahead of them to the small portals that lead back into the keep.

            "Go, go!" Daniel pushed the boys back towards the keep proper. He waited until some of the orcs made their way through the slick archway before kicking the remains of the fire onto the burned orcs.

            The whoosh of the oil catching was louder than he had imagined.

            That done, he ran into the keep proper, and was surprised to see that he had been one of the last people to make it back in.

            "Smells like a bar-b-que," Jack said. The colonel was sitting on the floor, nursing what looked like a broken hand, with several broken fingers to go with it. It also had a few new cuts along his face and arms.

            "Yeah," Daniel said, looking outside the thin slit windows of the keep. The gateway still burned, allowing few orcs through. Until the flames burned down they would have some respite, at least.

            The archeologist checked his internal clock. Just two more hours until dawn.

            He hoped to God that Gandalf would keep his word.

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	28. Calm Moments

            "Don't argue with me, Major, just do it!"

            Jack listened intently for Sam's answer. In less than ten minutes the men planned to make one last stand against the orcs. The women's only hope was for Sam to blow the entrance to the caves, giving them enough time to make it out.

            Sam was less then happy with the decision.

            "Colonel?"

            Jack looked up, peering down the long stairwell that lead to the caves. "Yeah?"

            "Good luck."

            "Don't go sappy on me now, Major," he answered. "I'm clear. Blow it."

            Jack turned around when he heard footsteps behind him. Daniel and Teal'c were walking down the stairs, followed by the rest of their ragtag band. 

            "Fire in the hole!"

            Both Daniel and Teal'c manhandled their friends to the sides of the corridor before the phrase was complete. It was followed by a satisfying roar as air and debris blew past them.

            Jack looked. Where once he'd been able to see a glimmer of torchlight there was nothing but blackness. 

____________________

            "Pip?"

            The hobbit in question groaned slightly, rolling over and taking a mutton leg with him. 

            Merry watched his cousin sleep, concern marring his features. At his voice the fine lines that had begun to gather around the other hobbit's eyes and mouth relaxed. It was the first night in a long time that he'd seen the younger hobbit sleep peacefully. Since the death of Gandalf Pip had been having nightmares, though he never said what they were about. In the morning he would look pale and haunted, until something else caught his attention and he seemed to return to the carefree hobbit his cousin had always known. Some nights, especially right after their capture, he would wake screaming, only to be cuffed to silence by one of the orcs. Their bruises had healed with time, but he doubted things would ever be the same for them again. 

            Merry closed his eyes and listened to the sound of water as it drifted outside. Othanc was free, at least for them it was. Tree Beard had given them free run of Orthanc after killing the orcs and imprisoning Saruman. They could hear the old wizard from time to time, yelling down at the ents in languages Merry had never heard. Whatever he said, it seemed to annoy the ents, an on occasion one of them would yell something back, silencing the man for hours on end. That worked just fine for him, because if Saruman was guilty of even half the things he was told, he deserved nothing better.

             Merry sighed and rolled towards the door. Currently, they were sleeping in one of the store rooms that dotted the property. This one was on ground high enough that it was only slightly flooded when the dam went. Now, the floor was relatively dry, and a large piece of leather served as adequate ground cover for their sleeping pallets. Neither one of them wanted to sleep in the tower, even though Saruman was supposed to be locked into only the uppermost rooms. There was something off about the place, as if whatever evil the white wizard had been doing had seeped into the very stones.

            Hearing Pippin's even breathing allowed Merry's attention to turn to other matters. Namely, his legs. Was it just his imagination, or were the cuffs of his trousers a little further up on his calves now, the fit of his shirt and vest a little tighter than before? He didn't know how to explain it, but things seemed a little smaller since they'd met Tree Beard and the rest of the Ents. The large beings had been fond of plying the hobbits with a strange, shimmering water at the Ent Mote, saying nothing more than it was good for them.

            _There's somethin' in there, Merry, _the Gaff's words came back to him. _Somethin' that makes those trees come alive and talk when they want. You seen trees grow that big anywhere else? Never! I've lived a long time, laddie, and I've never seen 'em as big as those of Buckland. _

            Merry's eyes widened. Was that what they'd been given, the same stuff that ran in Buckland? He'd ask Tree Beard about it later.

            "Night, Pip," he whispered, pulling his blanket over his head. 

_____________________________

            "Tell me again what he's doing, Daniel."

            Teal'c watched the colonel watch Gandalf as he ran his hands over the pile of rock and debris that blocked off the stairwell leading into the caves. Hours before the wizard had rode in with a host of at least a thousand men at his back, saving their meager force from defeat. The new force had managed to route those orcs that survived the initial charge back up the steep embankment that lead to the deep.

            And into the trees.

            Teal'c had been surprised to see a large forest after cresting the rise, a forest where before none had been. Gandalf yelled at them not to follow the orcs into the trees, and the jaffa had been glad to oblige. There was something wrong with those trees, a sense of waiting, of tension, that reminded him of an animal waiting to pounce. Then they began to move, the tall limbs bending inwards, followed by the sound  of screams. Whatever fate had awaited the orcs in the forest, it was nothing more than they deserved. Afterwards the old wizard ordered every man into the structure, where they were to remain for the rest of the night. 

            "I'm trying to reason with the stones, Jack," Gandalf answered before Daniel. "It would make things easier for everyone over all."

            Colonel O'Neill raised one eyebrow. "You ever hear the expression arguing with a brick wall?"

            Teal'c smiled internally when Daniel flicked one of the colonel's ears, affectively distracting him. Whatever Gandalf was doing seemed to require his entire focus.

            Suddenly, the stones seemed to shudder, and slowly begin to fall into dust. Gandalf stepped back calmly.

            "Anything can be reasoned with, Jack. You need only know the language."

            "Twenty bucks, Jack," Daniel's voice drifted over that of the disintegrating stone. "At this rate you'll have to sign all your checks over to me when we get home."

            "Yeah, yeah," the colonel answered. "Those last two were lucky guesses and you know it."

            "Ah, here we are," Gandalf interrupted, stepping up to the wall. A tunnel, a little taller than a man and several feet long, bored through the debris.

            "Yo, Carter! You in there?" Colonel O'Neill called before following Gandalf.

            "Colonel O'Neill?"

            Teal'c stepped into the darkness as well. "I believe that is the lady Eowyn."

            "Please, help us!"

            Gandalf tapped his staff twice on the stones, and a bright light pierced the darkness of the cave. In moments they could see Eowyn, gray with dust, kneeling on the stone floor.

            Sam was lying next to her.

            "Sam!" Both Daniel and Jack rushed forward, nearly knocking the other woman over in their haste.

            "She still breathes," Eowyn told them. 

            Gandalf and Teal'c walked over to their friend. Jack was lifting one of her eyelids.

            "Come on, Sam," he said worriedly.

            Slowly, the pupil began to contract in the light. He did the same to the other eye, sighing in relief when the response was faster. Gently, he began feeling along her neck and collar bone.

            "Where are the others, Eowyn?" Daniel asked.

            "The way leading through the mountains was blocked, whether from the explosion or from some other force I don't know." She pointed further into the darkness. "I ordered everyone to try and dig their way out. They should be no more than half a mile. I can show you, if you like."

            Teal'c nodded. "Come DanielJackson."

            Daniel nodded and held the torch aloft as they picked their way among the rocks. The jaffa was impressed by the surety of Eowyn's movements. Despite the rough hewn floor and uneven path, she walked steadily, only stumbling once before they reached a point where the large cave began to branch into several smaller tunnels. He had little doubt that the women would have been able to hide in them for some time before they were discovered, perhaps long enough to dig their way free.

            A trilling chirp broke through the stillness, followed swiftly by two more. From far away there was an answering chirp, then three quick trills.

            "They're all right," Eowyn said, relief plain in her voice.

______________________________________

             "_Quel kaima. Lissenen ar' maska'lalaith tenna' lye omentuva_"

            The small group of surviving elves turned their faces to the west and the setting sun, watching as the smoke from the pyres drifted to the sky. Many of their brothers had died, but some still lived to sing the songs of their valor. Even as they watched the sun set they knew their friends were being reborn in the Halls of Mandos, were they would be welcomed by those who had gone before. 

            The survivors, those well enough to help, had been hard at work since their earlier victory, separating the dead elves and men from the orcs. The field where so many had fallen was empty now, the bodies of their fallen comrades had been stacked and soaked with pitch, the first time in five millennia that men and elves were mourned together. The bodies of the orcs were dragged deeper into the chasms, and left for the animals.

            "May wolves pick the flesh from their bones," Salnith said, staring after the last pile to be taken. A bandage covered the place where her eye once was.

            "We will see them soon," Alis, another elf whispered. 

            Legolas turned and looked to Aragorn, who stood with the elves, yet apart from them. Even now, after all they'd done, those who survived were looking to the west, to return to Valinor. Nothing had changed.

            "We should return," he said after a moment. "They still need more hands."

            "Their words trouble you, old friend?"

            Legolas glanced at Aragorn. "They will still leave Middle Earth to its fate, rather than fight to protect it."

            The ranger looked down, then out towards the dying pyre. "The elves have long lived in the world. Times have changed, and it is no longer theirs."

            "That doesn't mean they shouldn't stand and defend it!"

            Aragorn smiled sadly. "I never thought to argue this with an elf. If you'd never agreed to this quest, where would you be now?"

            Legolas said nothing. For many years the elves of Mirkwood had been traveling to the Havens and over the straight road to Valinor. He himself had refused several times to make the journey. Mirkwood was his home, and like precious few of his people, he was determined to remain there, despite the call of the Valar.

            "I wouldn't run from something this important," he said finally.

            Aragorn latched onto the elf's shoulder and gave it a firm shake. "I know." He strode towards the entrance to the Deep. "You said something about helping, Legolas of Mirkwood. Surely you don't plan to shirk your duties?"

            Legolas smiled.

            Half and hour later the elf was helping stitch up a deep gash when Teal'c entered the main hall, Jack and Daniel following closely. He was carrying a small bundle, and at first the elf thought it was another shoulder. His eyes fell on short hair gray with dust, and delicate features, and fear stabbed through him. It was Samantha. The sight of her limp legs chilled his heart, and in an instant he was at her side.

            "Gently now, my friend," Gandalf admonished as he knelt at her side. "She's taken quite a blow to the head, but should be fine in a few hours time."       

            The elf felt a blush start to threaten his cheeks, but fought it down. Bad enough that Aragorn taunted him almost mercilessly about his attraction to the woman, he could only shudder to think of what Jack would say.

            "She's got a skull thick as a rock," Jack said offhandedly. "She'll be all right."

            Legolas closed his eyes. He could feel her, through the necklace. The steady beat of her heart, the blood flowing through her veins. There was a large blotch on her energy, where something heavy had caused her some damage, but nothing truly life threatening. She was already fighting her way back from the blackness. She would wake sooner than he would have thought possible.

            He opened his eyes as a sea of women and children came into the hall, carrying blankets, basins, and piles of cloth. The men had been able to see to the more grievously injured, but none among them was without injury himself. The arrival of  the women was met with shouts of joy.

            A hand came down on his shoulder. "I told you she would be fine, my friend."

            "Worrying over her like an old woman, is he?"

            The blush was back, raging hotter than ever. "At least show some concern for our friend, Aragorn. Gimli. She might have been truly injured."

            "Hmmph, you'd think she was on her death bed," Gimli snorted from around his pipe. 

            " And you owe me eight taeles of silver," Legolas countered, turning to his friend. For once they were eye to eye. "I beat you by fifteen orcs."

            Gimli sputtered, yanking the pipe from his mouth. "Now see here you pointy eared.... they kept the orcs from the wall, and I've no skill with a bow! If anyone should pay, it's them!"

            The elf and dwarf turned to Daniel and Jack. And blinked. The two men in question were nowhere to be found.

__________________________________

             Sam had several distinct impressions. The first was that she was lying on something soft. The second, that she was wearing something softer than she remembered. The third was that an evil gnome was in her head, slamming away with a pick axe.

            Okay, scratch that. The first was there was an evil gnome in her head slamming away with a pick axe.

            "Samantha? Can you hear me?"

            The voice sounded far away, thin and watery. She tried to focus on it.

            "Samantha?"

            "Hm?" she turned her head towards where the voice was coming from. Something cool was pressed to her lips, trickled past them into the dryness of her mouth. 

            Reluctantly, she opened her eyes. The light was thankfully dim, and she focused on a fall of blond hair and a pair of deep blue eyes.

            "Legolas?"

            The elf smiled at her. "I was wondering when you'd awake." He set down the cup on a small table. "You've been sleep some time."

            Samantha turned her head slightly. The room was large, and she could see more people laid out on pallets, some with women bending over them. She raised a hand and felt the top of her head. If it looked anything like it felt, she had a foot-tall knot sprouting from the center. She remembered the blast, remembered the quite that followed, the slight, tumbling sound of falling rock. Then, nothing. "We won?"

            Legolas nodded. "Gandalf arrived to save us all. Most everyone who can is sleeping now. It's nearly dawn."

            She blinked, puzzled. "Then why are you awake?"

            "Someone needed to watch over you."

            **He stayed with us? All night? Hell YEAH! **The Bitch was dancing in the back of her head. Samantha didn't care though, because whatever she was doing had stopped her headache. 

            "Where's Colonel O'Neill? Daniel? Teal'c? What about Aragorn and Gim-"

            "All fine," Legolas assured her. "Gimli is currently searching for both Jack and Daniel concerning a lost bet. Apparently, they are good at remaining lost when others want to find them."

            "You don't know the half of it," Sam muttered. She couldn't count the number of times they'd pulled a disappearing act when she needed to talk to them about something. "Oh," she said, reaching in side the long shirt she was wearing. Feebly, she pulled at the chain that held his pendant. "This is yours."

            A hand settled over hers, stilling the movement. "Our journey is not over yet, Samantha. Keep it, for good fortune."

            The hand was gone as swiftly as it had settled. "You should rest now," the elf said as he stood. "Gandalf means to leave after first light, and the road ahead of us is long. Jack assures us that if you were left behind, you would follow. On foot, if necessary."

            Sam settled further into the warm blankets. For someone who'd apparently slept the best part of the battle away, she was rather tired. She remembered Janet telling them once about how the body didn't really rest when someone was unconscious from a head wound or from passing out. Sighing to herself, she closed her eyes and hoped for some sleep before they came and woke her up. 

___________________________________________

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for reading this!!!! Special hot fudge thanks goes out to silver1, HaloGatomon, Tabitha, Misty, nina, Alexandra3, Alys, Yami Bite Yumi Me Chan, Mara Jade, Jedi, speacalphred, KokoAstra, Ptath, Technomage-Ranger, rolo-rooni, Wishful Thinking2, Kits, Fuzzy Hobbit, Cait, organized-chaos, Methrill, Popples, ChristalSteele, sammyjo3, jchild, Destiny's Dragon, kaitland, Twi, Shanna, CapriceAnn Hedican-Kocur, fleetermouse, Crimson Starlight, AstralAgent, Majin83, FicLover,  and last but definately not least JP for your wonderful reviews!!!!! Thank you so much guys!!!!!

Oh, and R.G.S.- reviews mean a lot to a lot of writers, because it means that we can see what people think of our work. We don't just put our work out there, its a part of us, and most everyone I would assume cares to at least some degree about how their work is received. And on voluminous blob...well... because I wanted to say it.

And, Acacia Jules, I said I changed it for dramatic purposes, and that I didn't know his lineage to begin with. And why Boromir? Because he would be the only person who the Ring could truly tempt with some success. It had nothing Aragorn wanted, nor Gimli, and I believe elves are somewhat impervious to its evil. What could it offer Sam and Teal'c? by this time I'm assuming that Daniel's wife is dead, and that he'd come to terms with it. Jack was a little more susceptible, but in the end I think he would've been able to fight the temptation. Now Boromir had something to gain with the ring. I tried to make him more human by showing how much he cared about his people, and that the ring used that against him. AND If you've read the book and/or seen the movies, you'd know that Boromir's death is a major plot point later on, it's kind of necessary. AND I think dying was the only way he felt he could truly redeem himself, plus the fact that he probably would have bled to death anyway, those arrows had huge shafts, even if the last two or three hadn't found their mark, and that's a lot slower and more painful that what really happens. 

And Finally, the translation of the elvish:

"_Quel kaima. Lissenen ar' maska'lalaith tenna' lye omentuva_"

**Sleep well. Sweet water and light laughter till next we meet.**


	29. Into the Woods We Go Again

"Anyone else feeling a little déjà vu?"

Daniel looked around, knowing exactly how Jack felt. This was the second time they found themselves traveling through Fangorn forest, and it was just as bad as the first. Or maybe not, he mused as they followed a _very _narrow trail that cut through the trees. The forest seemed a little appeased, probably from killing over a thousand orcs the day before.

"Sir," Sam's voice echoed through the forest.

"All right, all right. Never let it be said I didn't care about my squad-mates."

"I believe you are only attempting to not be punched in the stomach O'Neill."

The colonel didn't reply.

"Again," the jaffa added.

Daniel snickered. Sam had insisted on riding with them to Isengad. That morning she showed up in the stables, dressed in a fresh shirt and breeches that were only a few sizes too big, wearing the _look. _He, Jack, and Teal'c knew what the _look _meant. It was the same expression Sam put on before they started kicking goa'uld butt.Everyone decided that it would be better to take her along, rather than sit and argue the point with someone who was already pissed and had a headache to boot. Jack found out the hard way to leave the woman alone when he patted her on the head and she sucker punched him in the stomach.

"How did you get the forest here, Gandalf?" Daniel finally asked, trying to keep his voice fairly quiet.

The wizard turned around. "Very carefully, Daniel. Very carefully."

The archeologist sank into the saddle, ignoring the amused looks of his traveling companions. The wizard knew exactly how to make you feel like a five year old. All he needed to do now was start asking 'are we there yet?'.

Daniel sighed and turned his attention to the trees. They were beautiful, in an oddly twisted way. Like a painting by H.R. Geiger, something that could be appreciated more for its grotesqueness than its beauty. As he watched things flitted through the trees, pausing just long enough in the open for him to see that they were there, but not what they were. Legolas had mentioned something about fairies the last time, and he guessed that they had no choice but to travel with their trees. "How are fairies in Middle Earth?" he mused aloud.

Gandalf laughed. "Beings you would do better not to worry about, Daniel, or call yourself to their attention. They are mischievous creatures, whose favorite past time is leading unsuspecting travelers from the proper path."

Gimli snorted. "Bah. Fairies. Imps with wings is what they are."

There was a tinkling, as of crystal, and a branch dropped from the trees above and landed on the dwarf's head.

"Damn and blast!"

"Nor do they take kindly to being insulted," Legolas added as Gimli fought to remove the branch from his hair. "Especially by those they are allowing to travel through their woods."

"So, what are the trees saying this time, Legolas?" Daniel asked, trying hard not to laugh.

Jack was riding ahead, so he didn't see the elf smile. "They are wondering when the wizard will leave us, so they can amuse themselves."

Daniel grinned as Jack looked around worriedly. _Probably thinking about all those tree wisecracks, _he thought, then winced as his expression pulled at the wound on his face. The stitches the women gave him had held through the battle for the most part, but they were still raw.

"We should reach Isengard in two hours," Gandalf called. "If we aren't required to stop."

"That fall was deliberate!" Gimli growled from behind the elf. "How many times must I tell you that."

"Until I believe it, Gimli son of Gloin."

"He doesn't expect us to live _that _long, does he?" Jack stage whispered.

Daniel said nothing, and focused his energy on rolling with his horse. Just another day in paradise.

"Okay, that's a tree. Isn't it?"

Jack looked up at the thing walking towards them through the trees. It certainly looked like a tree, if one ignored the fact that it had two legs and arms.

And was walking.

"I'm an Ent, not a tree!" the creature said, sounding more indignant than Jack thought he had reason to be.

"It talks!?"

"Jack, please don't get us stepped on," Daniel whispered.

Jack turned around and looked at Daniel's concerned face. Then to Gandalf's amused one. "Just asking." He focused his attention at the top of the creature, and made out a face amongst the brances and leaves.

"It's been many a year, Gandalf, since we last spoke."

The white wizard rode forward. "Yes it has, Mossfoot. I am here to see Treebeard, and his two charges."

The ent raised a large arm and pointed to west. "He is there, past the gates of Isengard, near the tower. Keeps a close eye on Saruman, he does."

Jack perked up at that. He'd heard a lot about Saruman, remembered getting buried in what felt like a ton of snow by him. It was about time he met the guy face to face.

The group started down a slight slope, and soon found their horses sloshing through at least two feet of water. "You didn't tell us we'd have to swim, Gandalf."

"I didn't say you wouldn't have to either, did I?"

Jack sighed. Gandalf 1, O'Neill 0.

As suddenly as they entered the forest, it fell away, to reveal a crumbling stone wall.

"Pip! Merry!" the colonel yelled happily at the two hobbits sitting on the wall.

"Jack! Everyone!" Merry stood up "Welcome to Isengard!"  
"And what the hell are you two doing here?" Jack asked.

Pip laughed. "We are the gatekeepers, on orders from Treebeard, who had taken over management of Isengard."

Jack snorted. Gatekeepers? These two couldn't keep a cow out of the place.

The two hobbits jumped down from the wall and approached. "We'll take you to Treebeard," Merry said.

"He's been expecting you." Pip added excitedly. "We've been waiting for you for hours."

"Sorry throw off your plans for the day, Peregrine Took," Gandalf said as he swung Merry onto this horse.

The hobbit smiled. "It's no problem, none at all," the hobbit answered as Aragorn dismounted and picked him up.

Aragorn cocked his head. "Have you grown, Pip?" he asked before picking the hobbit up.

"What would make you say that, Aragorn?" Pip asked as the ranger settled in front of him.

Jack gave the hobbit's a once over. Both were wearing the same clothes as when they'd first met, but they looked smaller, tighter, where before they had been just a little loose. The pants were also further up their legs than he remembered.

A forehead hit him between the shoulders. "Sam, you all right back there?"

A muffled groan was his only response.

"Sam?"

"Yes, sir." the forehead moved in what could have been a nod. "Once the trees stop spinning I'll be fine."

The group moved further into the circle of Isengard, and Jack whistled. It was huge, with a single spire in the center that had to be at least three hundred feet of black…well, once he figured out if it was made of stone or steel he'd finish that thought. Anyway, there were other things to think about.

Like the twenty or so trees (Ents, he corrected himself) that were currently wading through the water, which was currently teasing their horses withers. For the most part they ignored the group that was making their way steadily towards the tower, but a few of them turned and watched.

Near the tower was the largest of the ents the colonel had seen so far. "Young master Gandalf!" the creature exclaimed, his voice booming through the clearing. "I'm glad you've come."

"Young master?" Jack repeated looking from Daniel to Aragorn and Legolas. The two only shrugged.

"There are creatures here older than I, Jonathan O'Neill. More than you would imagine."

"Yeah, sure," Jack countered. "But _young _master Gandalf? He'd have to be ancient-"

"I am one of the oldest living creatures in Middle Earth."

"Okay," Jack drawled, not sure what to say to that. Most people tried _not _to reveal their age.

"As I was saying," the large ent continued. "I'm glad you've come. Wood and water, stock and stone I can master, but there's a wizard to manage here."

"Saruman," Gandalf muttered to himself.

Jack looked up at the name. "Where's the old coot anyway?"

Treebeard looked up to the tower. "There, hiding in the shadows of his tower, afraid to set foot out his door for fear of what we will do to him."

"And there Saruman must remain. Under your guard, Treebeard."

"Well, let's just have his head and be done with it!" Gimli snorted.

"I'm with him." Jack pointed to the dwarf. "What happens if he gets out. Not that I'm doubting you, Treebeard." Jack added when the ent turned a surprised eye towards him.

"No," Gandalf sighed. "Saruman is no longer a threat. He has no power anymore."

_Now that's a matter of opinion, _the colonel thought, but kept it to himself. They'd learned the hard way that an enemy left alive had the pesky habit of coming back and biting you on the ass. Hathor came to mind.

The ent looked around the enclosure. "Once this place was rich with growing things. Now, it's little more than a wasteland." A smile spread across Treebeard's face. "Trees will come back to live here. Young trees. Wild trees."

A splash distracted Jack from the ent's ramblings, followed by a concerned "Pippin!" He looked down to see the hobbit bending down over something in the water. The hobbit leaned up, and brought with him…

A bowling ball.

"Bless my bark!"

Jack looked from the bowling ball to Treebeard. The ent looked surprised. Correct that, the ent looked shocked.

Gandalf, on the other hand, was calm. "Peregrin Took, I'll take that, my lad."

The hobbit hesitated, just long enough for Daniel to start examining the ball himself.

"Quickly now," the wizard continued, looking nervously between the two. That nervousness placed Jack on edge. It was the same kind of nervousness he got before Daniel did something stupid, like release some ancient monster that was hell bent on killing them all.

"For someone with a stomach wound, you sure jumped down fast, Daniel."

"Shut up, Jack," the archeologist groaned as he hauled himself back on the horse.

Jack grinned. "Pull a stitch there, did we?" the colonel asked innocently.

"Shut up, Jack."

"Is that drool on your chin?"

"SHUT UP, JACK!"

The colonel smiled, until he was punched in the side by Sam for making Daniel yell. "Sir."

"Just making conversation, major."

**_He's looking at you again._**

I don't care, leave me alone.

For the majority of their trip back to Edoras Sam had been silently cursing the Bitch. Every time she tried to relax, maybe doze off a little bit, the Bitch was their reminding her of the one person she wanted to forget, at least for a little while.

She already had one headache to deal with.

"Are you well, Major Carter?"

Sam lifted her head and saw that Teal'c had pulled up even with her and Jack.

She lifted a hand and brushed some stray hairs out of her face. Really, she needed to think about finding a barber when they got back. "I'm fine, Teal'c. Thanks for asking."

"Perhaps if would have been better had you remained at Helm's Deep, Samantha." This came from Legolas, who rode up on the other side.

**_He cares, he cares, _** the Bitch sung in her head. Samantha set her jaw. "I would have been jumping out of my skin there. Besides, fresh air is good for you, right?"

The elf and the jaffa fell back in line, and Sam resumed leaning against the colonel. So what if the man smelled like five day old laundry, at the moment he kept her from having to sit up straight.

"What's wrong, Sam!" the shouted question came from Pippin.

"She's taken a blow to the head, Pip," Aragorn answered for her. "Loud noises are especially painful right now."

Without warning Pip slid off Aragorn's horse and disappeared into the trees.

"Pippin!" The ranger shouted, dismounting.

"Aragorn, don't!" Gandalf shouted, moving to the middle of the line. "There is no sanctuary outside the path."

"And what of Pip?" he asked impatiently, trying to find a sign of the hobbit in the undergrowth.

"I'm all right!" The hobbit's voice carried through the undergrowth.

"Treebread said Fangorn wouldn't harm us, since no hobbit's harmed it," Merry explained. "What are you looking for anyway, Pip?"

"Found it!" The hobbit emerged from the bushes, his arms full of bright red flowers pulled up by their roots.

"And what exactly have you found?" Gandalf demanded, leaning down to get a closer look.

"Treebeard said these help anything. Remember Merry? He told us while we were walking to the Ent Moot."

Legolas jumped down from his horse and examined the flowers. "Where did you see these?"

Pip turned around. "Just off the path. They grow in Fangorn like nobody's business, don't they Merry? Couldn't take a step without falling over them."

Gandalf touched one flower. "Hilthien," he whispered. "For once you've managed to do something useful, Peregrine Took." he grabbed one of the flowers. "This will help Samantha, and many of the injured at Edoras. Aragorn, pack it carefully in your saddle bag. Try not to bruise any of the bulbs."

Sam, who had been watching the conversation with concern, perked up. Anything that would make the evil gnome with the hammer in her head go away was welcome.

Gandalf squeezed the plant gently as Shadowfax trotted over. "Tilt your head back," the wizard directed gently. "You might want to hold your nose."

Sam looked down at the red bulb warily. The flower was long and thin, nearly as long as her hand, fading from burgundy near the bulb to blood red at the tips. Gandalf poured a purplish liquid from the flower into his canteen, swirling the leather sack with a twist of his wrist. She braced herself, opened her mouth, grabbed her nose, and closed her eyes.

A hand tipped her head back slightly. She felt something cold and stiff against her bottom lip as the wizard poured the plant nectar into her mouth.

A second later the hand closed over her mouth just in time to prevent her from spitting the _hilthien_'s liquid out. It was foul, and she fought the urge to gag. The major forced herself to swallow. It was either that, or let the liquid sit in her mouth.

"There you are," the wizard said cheerfully, removing his hand, allowing her to spit out any remnant of the plant. "You'll feel better in a little while."

Sam focused her attention on her breathing, forcing it to remain steady. She listened as the process was repeated with Daniel, and found herself wondering what the flower's nectar tasted like when it wasn't distilled, and your nose wasn't plugged. It couldn't have been much worse than that.

Could it?

The major opened her eyes when they started moving again, keeping her eyes focused on the back in front of her. She looked to the side, prepared for a spike of pain. But none came.

"Wow."

"Your headache should be gone, Samantha," Legolas said from behind her.

"Yeah," she muttered, more to herself than anyone else. Not only was her headache gone, but all the little aches and pains that had been plaguing her for the past few days. She felt good, energized, like she could jump off their horse and keep up on foot.

"I wonder if that stuff would grow on Earth?" she thought.

If it could, they would knock every painkiller and caffeine product off the shelves.

Thank you thank you thank you for reading this!!!! My apologies for the extra long time between updates. Extra special bananas foster thanks goes out to Lady Rosebit, melon, Rolo-rooni, Becky Matthews, istar042000, Tarock, ChristalSteele, Mrs-Spacemonkey-Jackson, Chevron9, Fuzzy Hobbit, Miriam, Methrill, kaitland, caffinebunny, Maxennce, Silver1, Irethwen-ElfRanger, Bronze Dagger, Delphine Pryde, Popples, Misty, Alexandra3, Linderhill, organized-chaos, Majin83, Technomage-Ranger, speacalphred, Shanna, Pthat, The-Shadows-In-The-Darkness, Lady Cinnibar, Lady Naxen, Crazy Kat, Crazy Kat, aru, Tabitha, Kits, Chibi Mo, Legato with vengeance, Majin83, JP, and Ficlover for your wonderful reviews, and for kicking me to get off my ass and finish this story. THANKS J

It has come to my attention that the website I was using for my elvish is not truly Tolkien elvish, but a combination of Quenya, Sindarin, elvish from other canons, and some words just thrown in for fun. Thankfully, I have found another site that translates the bastardized elvish of the Grey Company into Sindarin, so I will be using this site for all future elvish words. For anyone who was cocking their heads and going 'what?' when reading the elvish, many apologies, and thanks to Legato with a Vengeance for pointing this out to me.


	30. Celebrations and kisses

Legolas watched with a smile as Merry and Pippin danced on the tables, entertaining the men of Edoras with their song about the tavern in Hobbiton. It amazed him, the speed with which humans were able to throw off sorrow and pain and enjoy life again. He himself was still reeling from the loss of elves and men at Helm's Deep. So many had fought and died in a single night, so many lives extinguished, some before they had a chance to truly begin. Yet for this night the dead were not mourned, but celebrated, the survivors telling tales of bravery from their fallen.

The blonde elf looked around, noting the lack of other elves in the throng that packed the Golden Hall. The few elves that survived were already gone, either headed for their homes, or to the Havens and ships bound for Valinor. They had departed much as they'd come, with muted thanks and few words.

"And what thoughts would trouble an elf this night?"

Aragorn's voice broke through the elf's thoughts. "Thoughts of what has befallen us, and what must come."

The ranger nodded, and handed Legolas a tankard of ale. "This is not the night for such thoughts, my friend. This night is meant for celebration."

Legolas looked around the hall. The faces of the Rohan people were joyous, each carrying a smile and ready to break out in laughter. It was their joy that lifted some of the sorrow from his own heart.

A heavy hand landed on his shoulder and gave a firm pat. "You should take a lesson from human's this night, Legolas. Our lives are not so long as yours. We take pleasure and joy where we can."

With that the ranger moved off, disappearing into the crowd.

The elf stared into his mug for long moments, before taking a sip. Not as strong as some of the drinks made by the elves, but then again few things were.

"And there's the elf now!" Gimli emerged from the crowd, grabbed his friend's hand, and started pulling him in the direction of the table Merry and Pippin had been dancing on.

"Gimli?" Legolas asked when they came to a stop in a group of men, Merry and Pip among them, all with nearly empty tankards.

The dwarf laughed. "I've been telling them tales of elvish wine, and they don't believe me, so I thought I'd invite you over to join in the drinking game."

"Drinking game?" Legolas looked around the circle.

"Aye." Gimli lifted his mug, the other men followed suit, and they drank deeply. When the mugs were slammed on the table a moment later, they were all empty.

"And what is the point of this drinking game?"

The smile Gimli wore became broader. "The last one standing wins."

* * *

"General Hammond, sir?"

"Yes, Major?" Hammond looked up from reports scattered across his deck.

"Colonel O'Neill's mother is here, sir. She's waiting at the front gate."

Hammond stood and straightened his uniform. "Have her escorted to the visitor's center, Major. I'll be there momentarily."

The young man nodded and closed the door to the office behind him, but the general didn't notice. He rested a hand on the large box sitting on the end table of his office. The box contained all of Colonel's personal effects, carefully searched to prevent any information leakage.

The general remembered his first conversation with O'Neill's mother. She'd been distant at best, with the reserved air of someone who was hearing long expected news. She hadn't asked question he was unable to answer, nothing about his mission, where he was, when he'd been expected back. Only a quiet, "oh," had greeted the news that her son was officially being declared missing in action.

Hammond shook himself, then picked up the box. It was the least he could do to deliver it personally.

The trip to the visitor's center was shorter than he would have liked. It was a large, separate building outside the compound proper made mostly of glass and steel. In general it was used by the mountain's staff as a sun room when not being used to impress dignitaries. Through the large glass doors he could see the top of a gray head peeking above the top of a leather lounger. The doors opened with a silent hiss, and he stepped into the brightly lit room.

"Mrs. O'Neill, I'm-"

"General Hammond. I know."

The chair spun around. The woman sitting in front of him was not as he'd expected. She sat with her back straight, white hair pulled in a tight bun. She appeared small and frail, but there was nothing frail about her voice. "Those are his things?" she asked with a slight nod towards his hands.

General Hammond nodded. "Everything that was in his office. Mostly it's pictures, supplies from his locker, personal items." He placed the box on a low coffee table.

Mrs. O'Neill eyed the box warily before standing and going over to it and taking the top off. She went through the box quickly, studying some things, disregarding others. She smiled when she picked up a pair of socks that had once been white, but had long since faded to a dingy gray.

"He never could keep his socks white," she murmured, then laughed. "Not in a million years."

"Mrs. O'Neill, if there's anything I can do-"

"The one thing I want you to do you can't, General. Let's not fool ourselves," she cut him off, her eyes never leaving the box. Finally, she picked up a large frame. "So this was his family?" She extended the picture to Hammond.

The General smiled in spite of himself. It was a picture taken at the last bar-b-que for the Cheyenne Mountain staff. Jack, Daniel, Sam, and Teal'c were all leaning against one another, hands thrown across each other's shoulders, covered in mud and paint. It had been the colonel's idea to add paint-ball to the list of activities. While the general had been understandably concerned about having over a hundred well trained individuals hunting each other on the backside of the mountain, he gave in. After four hours of fighting SG1 and a team of SF's returned, having 'killed' each other and officially ending the game. The picture was taken before the 'victory feast' as Teal'c had dubbed the bar-b-que. "They were his team."

She studied the picture a moment longer. "They're missing too, I suppose." She held up a hand. "I know, that information's classified."

Hammond looked away. By the time he turned back everything was placed neatly back in the box.

"I'm hoping one of those fine young gentlemen will be able to help me carry this to my car," Mrs. O'Neill said, eyeing the four men guarding the entrance.

"Of course. Gary, if you would."

A lanky redhead detached himself from the wall and strode over, picking up the box and heading back to the double doors with Mrs. O'Neill in tow. At the door she paused.

"Do you think he'll come back, General?" she asked without turning around.

"I hope so, Mrs. O'Neill," Hammond answered. "I certainly hope so."

* * *

"Are you sure, Major?"

Daniel's eyes moved from Sam to Jack, and back again.

"Positive, sir," she answered. "Or as close to it as I can be. The stars form the same constellations they would on earth, but they're inverted and in the wrong part of the sky. You studied astronomy, sir. You should know better than I do."

The colonel looked at the sky for a moment, then frowned. "It's not like we've had a chance to look up much, major."

"So what exactly are you saying, Sam?" the archeologist asked.

Sam pointed to the sky. "The inversion of constellations could mean we're on another planet that's exactly opposite of earth, but given the things we've seen, that's highly unlikely. Every time we've come in contact with what is supposed to be magic there is a logical explanation for it; Gou'uld technology, or an advanced form of life. Here there's nothing like that, which leaves only one explanation. Something must have happened while we were traveling through the gate, something that made it react like a quantum mirror."

"Wait a minute. If that's true, why havent we had any problems with the cascade thingy?" Jack asked.

Sam shook her head. "I don't know, sir. Perhaps we don't have counterparts in this dimension, which breaks about a hundred different laws supposedly governing alternate and parallel universes. The other solution is that our counterparts are so far away that we arent causing problems with the space time continuum."

Daniel soaked up everything Sam was telling them. So they were on earth, with no way of knowing what caused them to jump to an alternate reality to start with, let alone a gate to try and duplicate the process.

"We're screwed, aren't we?"

The words slipped out before Daniel could stop them, and his three friends turned to him. From the expression on their faces (with the exception of Teal'c, but then again, he really never had an expression) said they were all thinking the same thing.

"Unless we find a stargate and a way to figure out exactly what happened, we could be stuck here indefinitely."

Daniel looked up at the sky, and back towards the main hall where the victory party was still going strong. The people they'd met on their quest, the things they'd seen and experienced, all of it played through his mind. Stuck in a world where magic was real, where there were real elves and fairies and dwarves, even dragons if you were luck (or unlucky) enough to stumble on one.

They could have done a lot worse.

After a few moments of silence Jack stood and picked up his tankard of ale. "Well, nothing doing about it now, people. Let's try and enjoy the rest of the night, shall we?" With that he took a long drink of his ale and walked back into the party.

"I believe Colonel O'Neill is correct, Major Carter," Teal'c said. "We are already traveling to the only stargate that is known on this planet. There is nothing to be done until we reach it."

"Our chances of getting home are getting slimmer and slimmer Teal'c. What if I cant make it work?"

The jaffa cocked his head to the side and gave the major look number ten, the "why-are-humans-such-difficult-creatures-when-it-comes-to-simple-matters" one that Daniel found leveled at himself more often than not.

"I am confident that you will try your hardest, Major Carter."

Daniel sighed to himself, staying outside as the pair went in. Sam would try her hardest, would do everything in her power to get them back home, back to people who cared about them, back to exploring new worlds. That's what they wanted, that's why they were going through so much to reach Minas Morgul.

If that was so, then why did he feel so terrible thinking about leaving?

* * *

Sam stumbled a bit as she walked down the hall, one arm thrown over Eowyn's shoulder as they made their way to the women's quarters. The two began laughing, which only served to throw them further off balance.

"I think we're gonna wake half the castle," Sam snorted.

Eowyn closed her eyes to steady the room's spinning. "Half the castle is too drunk to hear a battalion of orcs stomping around." she steered them closer to the stone walls of the Hall, bumping against it none too gently.

Sam laughed, then leaned her face against the cool stone. "Whose idea was it to keep up with the men again?"

"Yours."

"Oh yeah." Sam pushed away from the wall and stared at the door in front of them. She was drunk, but not tired. "I think I'll walk around a bit," she said, pushing Eowyn towards the door.

"Are you sure?" Eowyn rested her hand on the doorknob.

"I promise not to fall down and bash my head in," Sam laughed. "Scout's honor."

That must have been good enough for the other woman, because she nodded and practically slid through her door, closing it behind her with a quiet 'click'.

Sam turned around and headed back to the Golden Hall. The few people who hadn't gone to bed were sprawled across the tables and floor, either talking or snoring happily. She pulled at the hem of the dress she wore, a dress Eowyn had insisted she wear for the celebration. It was only a little too tight across the chest and hips, but thankfully the two women were nearly the same height, so it came down properly. The pendant Legolas had given her rested between her breasts.

A blast of cold air hit her face, and Sam found herself facing the large double doors of the entrance hall, both of them cracked to allow the chill air to take away the smell of alcohol and sweaty bodies. She pushed the heavy doors open and took a deep breath, letting the cold chase away some of her intoxication.

"Are you well, Samantha?"

Sam turned around, and nearly fell over. After the ground and sky righted itself she found out who was talking. Legolas stood at the edge of the battlements, watching her.

"Fine," she answered after a moment, taking a deep breath. The cold air helped to clear her head.

A little.

The elf stepped towards her. "The hour is late, and most are abed. Why are you still awake?"

Sam shrugged. "Just getting some fresh air, that's all." She walked further into the night, until she was balanced on the edge of the battlements. "That was some party."

Legolas smiled. "I have been told that humans take any opportunity to celebrate, especially after a time of great hardship."

"I just hope they have great amounts of aspirin," the blonde muttered to herself. A tall glass of water before bed _might _get rid of the worst of her hangover if she was lucky. "We don't have to do anything tomorrow, do we?"

"No, not that I've been told. I doubt anyone will be in the mood for much work."

The elf's voice held more than a hint of laughter, which made Sam start giggling. She could imagine the whole of Edoras jittery and irritable from a massive hangover. "You don't seem affected, and I saw you and Gimli. Who would've thought someone so small could drink so much."

Legolas chuckled. "The last I saw of Gimli he was searching out a soft, quiet place to sleep off most of the ale. After muttering something to me about hollow legs."

The major laughed outright at that. She'd found herself watching Legolas during the drinking game, and Gimli was right. The amount of alcohol the elf had drunk could have drowned a horse.

"I have not seen you laugh so freely in many days, Samantha. It is good to see you happy once again."

The quiet words broke through her laughter, and Sam found herself standing closer to the elf that she would have liked. Sometime during her laughing they had moved closer to each other, and she was leaning partially on him, one arm balanced on his shoulder. "Thanks," she said, the words almost inaudible. The pendant burned like a brand against her skin.

She would never know who moved first, but suddenly she found herself kissing the elf, without the slightest inclination to stop anytime soon. She had the vague sensation of her legs giving out, only to be gathered in strong arms and supported against a firm chest as she was kissed.

Sometime later, Legolas lifted his head, and Sam found herself trying hard not to follow those lips. Why did the elf have to be such a good kisser anyway?

"Perhaps it would be best if you went to your bed, Samantha," he said quietly, watching her with glittering eyes.

"Uh, yeah," Sam fought to unscramble her brain, what little of it hadn't melted and run out her ears. She swung her legs playfully. "Could you let me down?"

Slowly, she was lowered until her feet touched the stones, cold seeping through the soft cloth of her slippers. Even then they didn't move, until he backed away.

" Good night, Samantha." The words were short and clipped.

Sam turned to leave, pushing open the large wooden doors a little more forcefully than necessary. "Goodnight, Legolas."

A THOUSAND apologies for taking so long inbetween updates, real world, work, finding better work, etc. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for reading this story, especially those people who've stuck around since the very beginning, a million thanks to you for your suggestions and support. Special whipped chocolate mousse thanks goes out to everyone for your reviews. Thanks for kicking me into gear while I was suffering through the dreaded writers block ::shiver::


	31. Mornings after

Daniel ducked as the sword came whirring for his head, parrying with a stiff handed stab to the ribs with one of his long knives. His opponent danced backwards, but too soon he was moving forward again. This time when the sword slashed towards his ribs he was ready. Catching the long blade on one of his knives, he slashed upwards with the other, prepared to injure his opponents sword arm.

The action did not have the desired result.

The man spun nimbly to one side, the blade of his sword coming to rest on the back of Daniel's neck.

"Good." Aragorn sheathed his sword with a metallic hiss. The archeologist had seen the ranger cut through the limbs of orcs and uruk'hai alike, and the memory of that cold steel against his neck gave him an involuntary shiver. "You're remembering you have two blades instead of one. But-"

"I know, I know," Daniel muttered as he slid his own blades into their leather scabbards. "Move my feet more."

Aragorn nodded. " A man's best weapon can sometimes be his agility. Still, you learn faster now than you did before, Daniel. Soon you'll be better than Jack."

The archeologist turned and looked further into the practice yard, where Jack and Legolas were sparring. More accurately, Jack was trying to keep his skin in once piece while the elf seemed intent on taking it off in small sections. Still the colonel was holding his own, barely, even though he was sweating and red-faced. Sam and Merry were being taught the dirtier aspects of fighting like a dwarf, which included a lot of shots below the belt. Daniel winced as she repeated a move with a pair of short handled axes that was meant to unman her opponent. Teal'c was kneeling in the room the men shared, catching up on what had to be weeks worth of kel-no-reem after warming up with them a few hours ago.

The impromptu session had begun shortly after Gandalf and Pippin rode to Minas Tirith. After last night, despite pounding heads and stiff muscles, all agreed that they needed to catch up on sorely needed training, and to blow off some of the steam that had been collecting since Pip's early morning look into the palantir. After the initial fear wore off, and Gandalf assured everyone that Pip was none the worse for wear, Daniel was certain that all of their small company were about to form a line to throttle the hobbit.

He could have sworn he saw Gandalf and Jack drawing straws to see who would go first.

"How long will it take them to reach Minas Tirith?"

The ranger tilted his head. "Perhaps three days, if they ride hard. I wouldn't be surprised if Gandalf made it in two."

Daniel didn't understand it. Gandalf was taking Pip to the white city, practically on Sauron's doorstep, if any of the maps he'd seen were any indication. He supposed better to be somewhere other than where the enemy was looking for you, even if it meant being under his nose.

_"The closer you are to danger, the further you are from harm."_ That's what Pip said had convinced Treebeard to disobey Gandalf and take them to Isengard, a fact the hobbit was inordinately proud of. Daniel still couldn't fathom that Pip actually believed that. Then again, it probably explained a lot of the things Pip did.

* * *

"Green as new grass, they are."

Legolas raised a brow at the dwarf's assessment of their friends. Perhaps not so raw as that, but enough. He supposed that they fought very well with the weapons of their own world. All except Daniel showed promise with fighting hand-to-hand, but that wouldn't be enough to help them when the final battle came. And there was little doubt in his mind that it was coming, sooner than anyone wanted.

"They will have to do," Aragorn's quiet voice carried over the din of the evening meal. The four in question were in a far corner, regaling a group of children with tales of their adventures. "They've survived so far."

Legolas nodded in agreement. They had, better than he would have thought possible. Perhaps Daniel was slightly clumsy, Jack older than anyone wanted, and Sam weaker than most men, but those things couldn't be changed. The three worked well and adjusted to their surroundings swiftly and with ease. _That _had saved more lives than simple fighting knowledge alone ever had.

"The beacon remains unlit. Gandalf has been in Minas Tirith a day at least." The elf looked to the east. "The eye has settled firmly east of us. The White City is the only place he could be focused on."

"And the last real reserve of men," Aragorn said faintly, turning looking into the setting sun. No doubt he was dwelling on memories of Minas Tirith, seen more than two decades ago. "She will fall if there is no aid."

Gimli placed a steady hand on his friend's arm. "Gandalf will think of something, Aragorn. That old wizard is yet full of surprises."

Legolas smiled. Despite Gimli's gruff exterior, he found himself liking the dwarf more and more. A fact he would never have even considered possible a year ago. Battle made strange bed fellows, of that he had always known, but how much stranger than a king of men, an elvish prince, and a dwarvish lord?

"So, how's your head this day, Legolas?"

The elf lifted one blond brow at the dwarf's question. "Far better than yours, I would imagine, friend Gimli. I understand you nearly beheaded Joram for waking you this morn."

The dwarf smiled wryly, but said nothing. Truth be told, Legolas had learned the hard way that human brews, while some were not nearly as potent as those he'd grown up with, could still lead to the same ridiculous behavior.

For example, his handling of Samantha.

At any other time he would have gone to her father and apologized, profusely, for taking advantage of his daughter. While more than a little drunk, no less. With her father unavailable he would have gone to the person directly responsible for her, Jack. While he doubted his offence was serious enough to cause a breach in their friendship, he was fully prepared to accept the reprimand he would get for his actions.

There were only a few problems with this course of action. The first being that, once Samantha found out what he had done, she would no doubt be willing, and able, to bloody him for taking such steps to appease her honor. From what he had heard over the course of their journey such things were frowned upon in their own world, something about being able to fight one's own battles. The second being that she would more than likely not speak with him for some time if he did. And the third being that Jack would probably give him advice on how to succeed where the elf had failed, if he admitted to it.

The fourth, and most damning in the elf's opinion, was that he didn't truly feel that he had done anything wrong. True, the two of them had consumed more liquor than was intelligent. True, he had allowed himself to get carried away with the moon and starlight shining down on Samantha, giving her a glow that could rival that of any elvish maid. But none of these things compared to the rightness of her in his arms. It was that feeling of rightness that staid his hand. The slightest bit of guilt would have sent him to the colonel and Samantha's friends in a heart beat, but when he searched his mind he found none.

"You're blushing, my friend."

The light words from his friend brought Legolas out of his musings, and he blushed all the harder once he realized that he was doing so. Both Aragorn and Gimli were watching him with unveiled interest. Aragorn, he knew, would not dare risk asking what brought that blush to his face. Of Gimli he was not so sure, and any questions would raise even more potentially embarrassing ones before the two would be satisfied.

"I need to check the armory," Legolas said, whirling away from his friends and walking out of the long hall. "The fletcher should have finished the order by now."

* * *

Jack stood on the watchtower at the back of Edoras, alternately looking down the sheer drop which had to be more than one hundred feet, and up at the night sky. Carefully, he charted distances and directions of the most visible stars in relation to earth, making careful note of those stars and constellations that should have been faint but weren't, and vice versa. After careful consideration it was decided that, since astronomy was his hobby, he should be the one to take care of charting their present position.

In truth, the colonel wouldn't have minded very much. Ever since returning from Abydos the first time astronomy had been his passion, something to take up those nights that seemed empty after his wife left. Sitting on the roof of his house, with his state of the art telescope with GPS positioning and several different star charts had been a great way to pass the time.

Sitting on a wooden tower hanging above a hundred foot drop, a quill in one hand and a large piece of parchment in the other, with only a long piece of wood as a ruler and freezing his ass off, was another thing entirely. And according to the people at Edoras, spring was nearly there. Someone must have forgot to let winter know it was time to pack it in.

"At least the moon still follows the normal path," he muttered to himself as he made yet _another _notation on a star that shouldn't have been visible in the northern hemisphere, but was there nonetheless. It was confusing, trying to find his bearings in such an alien sky. That there were recognizable constellations made it all the more difficult.

"How have you fared, Jack?"

Despite himself the colonel gave the slightest jerk, barely any movement at all. He remembered all too well how loud the wooden ladder creaked when he climbed up it hours before. Knew _damn_ well that the twelfth rung would nearly fall out from under you unless you kept your feet to the sides because the center of it was nearly rotted through. That Aragorn managed to not only climb it silently, and ghost across the equally creaky tower on which he was seated, pissed him off to no end.

"Other than needing to unthaw my ass, all right." The colonel finished measuring the distance between two stars and stared at nearly five hours of work. Unless you knew how to read a star chart, it was just a scrap of skin with a grid and little dots and squiggles drawn on it. "We're definitely not in Kansas anymore."

"Kansas?"

Jack fought the urge to sigh. What he wouldn't give to be in a place where more that three other people got his movie references. "_Wizard of Oz, _one of those moving picture shows. In a nutshell, it means we're somewhere very different from home." _But at the same time we _are _home, _the colonel thought, glaring hard at his chart. _I'll wash George's underwear for a month if that isn't Cassiopeia_.

Aragorn sat down next to the colonel, swinging his legs over the edge of the platform. "What do you plan on doing after reaching Minas Morgul, Jack? I have heard Samantha say that this is your world, only another shade of it. Where then can the portal take you?"

Jack shrugged. "Sam will figure something out, I hope." He looked down at his hands. "She always has before."

"And if she cannot?"

"Well, we'll find a little corner of Middle Earth and settle down. Something with a nice lake, some ruins nearby, and a stretch of good soil. I spent time farming once. It's not bad." He leaned back, stretching out the muscles of his lower back before laying down and staring up at the stars. "Maybe somewhere near Rivendell, if they'll take us. Daniel's been dying to study the history of the elves and compare it to our fairytales." A shooting star flew overhead "I can say one thing for Middle Earth, no light pollution." No pollution at all. No smog, no industrial waste, no power plants. Paradise wrapped in a bottle.

When one discounted the evil being intent on taking over the planet and destroying humanity for who knew what reason.

* * *

Pippin stared at the ceiling, tracing the intricate design etched into the gray marble, his eyes constantly going to the window of their apartments. East of them, the green beacon still blazed, the tower of light disappearing into the heavy clouds that covered Mordor. The black lands were entirely too close for comfort, and left to his own devices he would have been on a stout mule heading back to the Shire.

But he couldn't.

In the green glow from the east the chain mail on his new armor gleamed like black water. The garb of a Gondorian soldier was laid out neatly on a chair in the corner, the silver tree and seven stars stitched on the breast facing him. A Took never ran from his responsibility. Shirked it certainly, side-stepped it when he could, but never ran from it when it stared him in the face. Tomorrow he was swearing fealty to Denethor, and might never see the Shire again. Even if he did, there was a nagging fear that he wouldn't see it with the same eyes.

Gandalf snorted in his sleep, then muttered something that could have been another language, or simple gibberish, hands laced over the palantir in it's leather case. The wizard had been doing that often since his return. Where before the tall human would settle down for the night and sleep like a stone. Now he tossed and turned, mumbled, even speaking in clear words to no one at all with eyes heavy lidded and open. Pippin managed to see all this because, since looking into the palantir, he hadn't been able to sleep.

On occasion, he'd been able to catch a few hours here or there, but never through the night. Several times he woke up screaming, trapped in a nightmare and seeing that terrible eye boring into him, trying to drag out his secrets. He remembered Sauron, the sense of _something_ collected into one space, like a cloud in the shape of a man. He had been amused at first, asking if Saruman thought it funny to send a halfling in the wizard's place, and his name. When Pip hadn't answered the energy changed, creeping through him, searching for answers. Then the sensation of being pulled, yanked away from Sauron and into darkness. Then Gandalf's voice in that blackness, and waking to see everyone standing over him, concern written on their faces.

Pip sighed and rolled out of bed, wiggling his toes in the thick fur rug. Sleep was a long time in coming, and he doubted he would find it before the sky started to lighten. He walked over to the chair and picked up his sword. The metal made a sharp hiss as it left the scabbard the light making the blade a sickly green. Guardian of the Citadel. A citadel that was soon to be under attack, according to Gandalf, by all the forces that Sauron could bring together. Minas Tirith would be the first to fall.

As suddenly as the green beacon in the east lit, it was gone, leaving an inky blackness in it's wake. Even the sound of Mount Doom, the rumbling that was almost constant in the white city, was gone.

In the darkness, Pippin slid the blade back into its scabbard.

* * *

Thank you thank you thank you for reading this. Apologies for the distance inbetween postings. Special raspberry cheesecake thanks goes out to Panther28, gaul1, Weredude, Shorlixa Dragoness-Spirit, lamb chops, rolo-rooni, Kalina, chevron92004, Methrill, organized-chaos, Wolfca, Sorrow1, Elf Ranger, LOTRFAN, Popples, korrd, midnight-flurry, Misty, ork hunter, Gatokari, technetium, Technomage-Ranger, Wormhole Explorer, Ptath, Silver1, Istar, Chevron92004, Legato with vengeance, Vinny and Nex, Something Freakey, Cid Dante, Shanna, Raz 42492, CapriceAnn Hedican-Kocur, Tabitha, Kits, Chibi Mo, Thranduril and last but never least Istar042000. THANK YOU so much for your support and your comments.

Some of the things in this chapter came from the book, so don't start throwing tomatoes at me just yet.

Now, to answer a few questions:

_Will there be citrus in this story?_

Yes, but it will be mild, and it will be posted on for those people who don't want to read it. I'll let everyone know when and where.

_Will they ever find the stargate?_

Yes, they will. Will it really be in Minas Morgul? Maybe

_Will there be a sequel to this story?_

Yes, there will. But when that comes out, I don't know. But I have been thinking about it.

_What does Sauron think of SG1?_

At the moment, he's very curious. Especially about Teal'c, but they arent his main concern.

Okay, that's it.

Writegirl.


	32. Chapter 32

_He hasn't said anything._

**Shut up.**

_He should have said something by now._

**I'm not listening.**

_Then why are you answering back?_

Sam grunted in frustration. The Bitch had been bothering her all day, waking her up along with a four-star hangover. **Just leave me alone. **

_He kissed us again. He should have said something about it. It's nearly dark._

**Maybe he's shy?**

_Maybe you're deluded._

**I'm having a conversation with myself, of course I'm deluded!**

_I thought you thought you were crazy._

**A little of that, too.**

Apparently that wasn't the answer the Bitch was expecting, because she didn't answer. A part of Sam had been wondering for weeks if the voice in her head was somehow a part of Jolinar that was still floating around, but the more analytical section continued to shoot the theory down. Her memories of the other woman just didn't seem to add up with the caustic, downright irritating voice that popped up every now and then.

"That's it, McKenzie, here I come. The minute I get home I'm committing myself to mental health."

"Talking to yourself, Major?"

_If only you knew._

For the briefest of moments, Sam wondered if hitting her head would do the Bitch any damage, but decided against it.

At least, in front of the colonel.

"So," O'Neill drawled as she settled down on the ledge next to her. "Why are you gonna see McKenzie?"

"Slight mental problems, sir." **And don't you dare ask what they are!**

"Ahhh… too long without chocolate, Carter?"

"Sir, is hitting your commanding officer considered grounds for court martial?"

"Ah, yeah." The colonel scratched his head. "So, any plans on where to settle down?"

"Sir?"

Jack was looking at the stone beneath his feet. "Daniel's put in dibs for Rivendell, or Lorien if they'll have us. Teal'c just wants somewhere near water. I'm personally thinking about real estate in the Shire, if the Hobbits were telling the truth. So, what do you think?"

Sam's jaw dropped. "Colonel, are you considering giving up on going home?"

"Just being practical, Major. Nothing to get worried over."

"But you're thinking about it?"

"And you haven't?"

The question stopped Sam in her mental tracks. Had she thought about it? Not really. She still had family on earth, family that she wanted to see again. It never really entered her mind that they wouldn't be going home, that she wouldn't see them again. Her thoughts drifted towards Daniel, Jack, and Teal'c. Daniel didn't have any family, other than Kasuf. She didn't know much about the colonel other than he was divorced and that he and his wife didn't speak. Teal'c had Bra'tac and a son, but when was the last time they'd spoken? As far as they were concerned, SG1 was their family.

"Ah, so you've been keeping the cause alive, I see," Jack said. "Carter, maybe we should face the facts. We don't know how we got here, and we don't even know if there's a Stargate where we're goin'. And even if there is, does it even work anymore? Think about where you wanna live, will ya?"

Sam nodded. "Yes, Sir."

"Good," Jack patted her on the back and stood. "Now come on, Gimli wants to know more about electroplating."

* * *

"Hot baths. Without worrying about someone else jumping in."

"Sonic's."

"Deodorant."

"The National Enquirer."

Jack looked at Teal'c. "A tabloid?"

The jaffa nodded gravely. "There were many interesting topics under discussion when we left, O'Neill. I would like to see how they developed."

Daniel shook his head. He could understand how Teal'c could be attracted to a national rag, but it still amazed him. Who would have thought trash would go over so well with an alien? "I thought you were giving them up, Teal'c."

" I agreed to stop reading Star and Globe as we spoke of, Daniel Jackson. I said nothing about the Enquirer."

"Got you there, Dannyboy," Jack chuckled.

The archeologist shrugged, and Jack grinned before turning to Sam. "So, who tried to sneak in with you, Major?"

Daniel watched as Sam tried to stem the blush rising in her cheeks, and fought one of his own. The Rohan were surprisingly like the Norse of Earth, including their love of bathing in groups. More than once since coming back to Edoras he'd been bathing in one of the large tubs and found that someone had slipped in behind him.

"What was that? I didn't hear you?" Jack cupped his ear and leaned forward at Sam's murmured answer.

"No one, all right!"

"Spoil sport. Daniel here's had no fewer than five-"

"Jack!"

"The last woman sent him running from the bath-house in the middle of the night."

"Teal'c!"

"Without his towel."

"Why don't you try to imagine what it's like to suddenly be groped in the middle of a bath, Jack?" Daniel asked scathingly.

The two men's expressions changed to ones of remembered delight, and Daniel blanched. " And you talked about me leaving a girl at every planet."

Jack shrugged. "When in Rome, Daniel."

The archeologist leaned back against the stone outcrop and stared out over Edoras. It was barely morning, the sun just making its way over the horizon. Most of the city was still asleep, and the group, unable to sleep, decided to move their conversation outside.

"I'd still give anything for a blueberry icee."

"I wouldn't let Frenes hear that if I were you, Daniel. She might take you up on it."

Daniel _did _blush at that. Frenes was a red head, with the temper to match, that had decided after hearing about their many adventures that what he needed was a woman to settle him down. Three out of the five times he was ambushed in the baths it had been her. "Yeah… well…"

"Well, what?"

"I believe that his blush is increasing, O'Neill."

"Careful Danny, you keep this up you might catch fire."

"ANYWAY," Jackson interrupted. "I've been thinking about Gandalf and Pippin. They should have sent some kind of signal by now."

Everyone nodded in agreement. For the past day and a half Aragorn had grown increasingly fidgety, constantly looking towards the east and the beacon. A beacon which remained stubbornly unlit.

"How long do you think it would take?"  
"Until this morning."

Three pairs of eyes turned to Teal'c, who was looking over their heads.

* * *

"Come on! It was three inches away from his boots!"

"You still owe me ten bucks, Jack."

Jack rolled his eyes at the ceiling. When Aragorn had gone running into the Golden Hall a few hours ago, he'd been _sure _that the man was going to slip on a pile of horse dung sitting innocently on the path. At the last second, the ranger lengthened his stride and sailed right over it. "He should have slipped."

Daniel shrugged. "Ten bucks. Which brings the grand total to eight hundred-"

"Eh, who said anything about keeping track?"

"- thirty one dollars, and two full weeks worth of dinners at O'Malley's."

Jack mentally tallied the total of their bets and sighed. Daniel was right on the money. There went his first month's pay. "You still take installments?"

"Fifty a month. And dinner once a week."

"Deal."

"I tried to warn you that your bet was not wise, O'Neill."

"What, is everyone turning on me now?" Jack asked, swinging around to stare and Teal'c and Sam. The major kept her eyes on her boots, while Teal'c just raised his eyebrow and returned the colonel's stare full measure.

"I didn't say anything," Sam said.

"I was attempting to see to your best interests."

"Right. So, everyone ready for today's adventure?"

Three heads nodded in agreement and Jack started walking towards front of the stables.

"Eh! I'm not ridding on that overgrown excuse for a dog!"

_Looks like Gimli's up and about_, Jack thought to himself. Sure enough, the dwarf was eyeing his horse, a rather large pony, with misgivings. Still, anything had to be better than the horse he'd rode in on. Jack wasn't sure, but he swore Gimli had fallen off it at least half a dozen times.

"You can always ride with me, Gimli. I'm a light enough mount for two of us to ride."

"As if I need help from an elf to ride this beast. I'll be fine, thank you."

"Does he know he's being manipulated?"

"Probably not," Jack answered Daniel's question. And if the dwarf ever found out… well, Jack was putting his money on an irate Gimli.

"Are you ready to ride, Jack?" Aragorn said as he walked past, carrying his last saddlebag.

"Yeah, we just had a few last minute things to discuss, you know…"

Aragorn gave him a ghost of a smile. "Of course."

Jack watched the ranger walk back to his horse and secure the bag. "He knows I bet on him, doesn't he?"

"Yep." The word came from Sam and Daniel at the same time, both of whom were already on their horses.

"Daniel?"

The archeologist gave him a flat stare. "Jack?"  
"You told him, didn't you?"

"Did not."

"Did too."

"Did not."

"Did too."

"Do you two plan on doing that for the whole journey?"

Theoden's question interrupted their conversation. To Jack, the man looked like a father who just caught his two sons arguing about something silly, and didn't approve. "Um, no." Jack said, falling into line next to Daniel.

* * *

Thank you so much everyone for your wonderful reviews! I'm sorry i dont have time to post everyone's names, but I'll be sure to make up for it on my next chapter!! Sorry about the long wait, i'm really trying to finish this, aside from finding myself lingering in the realm of writers block :( 


	33. The Height of Dunharrow

"Good horse, I love you horse."

Legolas smirked to himself as he watched Jack pat his mount affectionately after eyeing the path to the height of Dunharrow. The man always complained of having troublesome knees, and the elf imagined that it would be difficult for him to manage the winding path that lead up to the Rohan stronghold.

Dunharrow was an almost perfect place to gather ones strength for an attack, he mused. The high mountains that surrounded the valley on all sides cloaked their presence from outsiders, and the single, narrow pass that lead into the valley could be held by a minimum of men for weeks. The height of Dunharrow to which they were climbing stood well above the orderly lines of tents and fires, a single switchback horse path the only means of ascent. If worst came to worst, ten men could hold off a battalion.

"You shouldn't massage that horse like that, Jack. I think he's getting frisky."

Laughter burst out of the elf, as well as several others. Jack looked at the horse he was sitting doubtfully, and for a moment the elf wondered if he would choose to continue his journey to the height on foot.

Jack, however, wasn't one to let a challenge slide. "You're the expert, Daniel. I seem to recall a certain book with several _graphic-"_

"Jack…"

__

"- pictures depicting things of that nature, as well as-"

"_Jack_…"

"-some rather interesting sexual uses for man's best friend-"

"JACK!"

"Yeah, Danny-boy?"

Jackson was bright red. "That book, I remind you, was useful when averting further disagreements with the inhabitants of PX7-949. And as I have tried to tell you again and again, not everyone considers sex as being between two individuals-"

"Yeah, but it's usually between two _human beings_-"

"The majority of the world would disagree with you-"

Jack laughed. "And apparently some people off-world as well-"

"They aren't discussing what I think they're discussing, are they?" Gimli looked…well… green was a good description. He wasn't the only one. Half the men surrounding them were pointedly ignoring the conversation. The other half looked caught somewhere between disgust and fascination.

"Perhaps this conversation would be bettered suited for another time, O'Neill."

"No, no. Daniel wanted to bring up the topic of bestiality-"

"In a joke, Jack."

"So I'd thought I'd elucidate the subject for our audience."

"I'll take a hundred bucks off what you owe if you'll shut up."

"Deal."

Gimli shook his head. "Humans are strange creatures."

"I don't know, Daniel. I think some of Theoden's men would like a more… indepth discussion of the many aspects of bestiality."

"Not everyone is as perverted as you are, Jack."

The colonel shrugged noncommittally. There were times, a lot of times, when Daniel wanted nothing more than one really, _really_ big anvil to fall out of the sky and land on his friend. Then he would remember that this was exactly the reason that he was Jack's friend. His sense of humor was definitely one of his better personality traits.

So long as it wasn't directed at him.

"So, what's the deal, colonel? Theodrid didn't seem to happy when we went through camp." Sam was leaning over, stretching her back. Daniel decided to join her. They were getting used to horseback, but it was still hell on the muscles.

Jack thumped down on his pallet, eyes fixed on the ceiling. "Expecting more men, probably. Saruman's been picking at their flanks for months. Who knows how many've been killed."

Daniel sighed heavily. There was nothing like riding into certain death. During his years with SG 1 he'd seen more than his share of last stands and hopeless causes. Some of them he survived. Some of them he didn't. It seemed, at least to him, that they always took for granted the fact that they would survive. If history was any guide, then they would. There would always be a miracle, a stargate, a sarcophogus, a benevolent being, that would resurrect them.

It was a terrible feeling, depending on something.

"Stop worrying, Daniel."

The archeologist started. Damn Jack and his ability to read his moods. "I'm not worrying."

"Wanna bet?"

Daniel straightened. "And how do you know I'm worrying?"

"Let's see." Jack held up his fist. "1) You're copying Carter, and you never do that unless you cant think for yourself." A finger went up. "2) The _only_ time you cant think for yourself is when you're worrying about something." Another finger. "And 3) You haven't noticed the sign I put on your back when we got in the tent."

Daniel reached behind him. Jack _would _ do something like that. Thankfully, no one could speak English but the four of them.

Somewhere in the middle of turning a circle in an attempt to remove whatever his friend had put on his back it came to Daniel's attention that his three team mates were watching him. Two of them were, anyway. Sam was watching him with one hand over her mouth, while Teal'c had one eyebrow raised. Eyebrow #7, the 'there's-something-you-should-have-noticed-by-now-but-I'm-not-gonna-tell-you-what-it-is-because-that-would-suggest-that-you-couldn't-figure-it-out-for-yourself' eyebrow. Jack was just staring straight up, a smile on his face.

"There isn't a sign on me, is there?"

Sam laughed outright, while Teal'c's eyebrow went into the 'so-you-finally-figured-it-out' position.

"And 4," Jack finished, holding up the last digit. "If you were paying attention and not worrying, you would have known that I havent been close enough to you to put anything on your back, had anything with which to secure said item, or anything to write with or on." 

_Jack: 437, Daniel:409._ The thought flitted through Daniel's head, along with a reminder to begin writing down Teal'c's eyebrow statements for the general reading of stargate personnel.

"Which color does Daniel change to faster guys, white or red?"

"Jack?"

"Hmmmm?"

"Screw you."

"Only if there's a horse present."

Final score. Jack 459, Daniel 400.

_I definitely have to stop losing points._

Elrond watched his young charge leave the tent. For years, he'd tried to push Elessar in the right direction, make him accept that he was born to lead. All of his pushing had ended in nothing but hurt feelings for the young man, and a sour disappointment for the elf. The boy's mother had given the child into his keeping because of a trust, trust that he would see to the boy's best interests, that he would not let him linger in obscurity as so many others had.

As the years passed he began to fear that, despite his best efforts, Aragorn would not live up to the potential he had within him. He seemed to throw himself in harms way, becoming a ranger, spending most of his life among elves and animals rather than among his own people. Now his daughter's life depended on that unfulfilled promise.

_He will do anything to keep her safe, Elrond._ Gandalf's words from a long ago conversation seemed to echo in the empty tent. _There will be a time when you must use that against him_.

He'd often wondered when that time would be. More than once, the attempt had backfired. For a time he feared that his friend had misjudged Aragorn. The wizard should have added that it would work only in the extreme. If he could not find the strength within himself she would die, and perhaps all of Middle Earth with her.

_Her life is in your hands, Aragorn. Hold it well._

"Lord Elrond, are you well?"

Theoden was at the door to the tent, no doubt wondering what he'd said to the young ranger to make him storm out of the tent. "I am weary, King Theoden," the elf answered.

"Would you stay the night in our camp?"

The offer brought a smile to Elrond, a rare occurrence in these times. "I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep." He pulled up the hood of his cloak.

Theoden nodded in understanding. "Then may you journey in the graces of your gods."

"May they shelter you as well."

_If you love her, let her go._

Aragorn tensed, making his horse shift uneasily. Elrond had told him that months ago, but he hadnt. Not truly. A small part of him had held on to her, if just for the comfort of having her near. He should have insisted that she keep the necklace, insisted that the relationship between them was well and truly over. But he hadnt. Because of his weakness he kept what should never have been given. Now she might die because of it.

So might the friends he traveled with. None of them were willing to be left behind, not once they knew he was leaving. Teal'c's comment about undomesticated equines made their wishes plain. The ranger wondered what he'd done to engender such trust in them, to make them willing to travel with him into what could well be certain death. No doubt those that didn't know had heard about the curse upon the mountain. No man, or woman, had returned from it since the traitors made it their home. Some men disbelieved it, arguing that the descendants of that army could be holding all those who entered captives in an attempt to hide themselves, but even they gave the pass a wide berth.

"It's official, my ass has become molded to this saddle."

Jack's serious comment broke the tension. "Then we wont worry about you falling if you fall asleep." Legolas answered.

"As if you could fall asleep on one of these great beasts."

It was an easy flow of banter that had served them well over the course of their journey, a journey that would end in two days, one way or another. Aragorn hoped that he would see all his friends home. Thrones and crowns were little concern of his. The lives he'd come to know, to cherish, were worth more than the greatest kingdom.

"You keep scowling like that, you might just scare away whoever we're supposed to meet."

Sam's words broke through his thoughts. She was riding next to him, rocking easily in the saddle. More than once she'd attempted to correct Jack, but none of her lessons made much of an impression. "Perhaps it would be better if it did."

She shrugged, the movement barely visible in the small light afforded by their lanterns. The darkness seemed to swallow it, hiding everything more than a few paces ahead. "We haven't talked much have we, Aragorn?"

The question caught him off guard. "I don't believe we have, Samantha."

"Sam. The only one who calls me that is my dad, and that's when I'm in trouble."

He smiled. "Then Sam it shall be."

"Soooo…. What are our chances? If we can convince this army to fight for us."

"If they cant be convinced we will have no chances."

"Oh," she looked ahead. "Well, that's comforting, I guess." They rode in silence until she laughed. "I think I know why we haven't talked."

"You do?"

"Yeah. You're a lousy conversationalist."

Aragorn laughed. Arwen had told him much the same thing when he was in his pensive moments. "You're not the first to say such a thing, Sam."

"Then why don't you fix it?" Her voice was full of confidence. "You seem to do anything else you put your mind to. So. Horses?"

He was confused. "Horses?"

"Yeah, horses. You like them? Hate them? Or do you think they're useless except for dog food, like the colonel?"

Aragorn looked behind him at Jack. He thought horses were for dog food? "A good horse can save a man's life. Brego saved mine when I went over the cliff. Though horse spit leaves much to be desired."

"Horse spit?"

"What do you think of them?" He asked, all to aware of the earlier conversation.

"I like them." she patted Shadow's neck. "Every girl wants a horse, and I'm no different. I took lessons for a while."

"So that explains why you have better horsemanship. Jack as lead me to believe that everyone on your world travels around in carls."

"Cars. Most people do, when they can. They're more comfortable, and faster, depending on the terrain. But a lot of people still use them."

"Ah." The smile that crept onto his face at the start of their conversation hadnt waned at all. "How would they be in this terrain."

Sam looked around. "A Hummer might be able to hack it, but some of the passes might be too narrow. Maybe a Jeep."

That lead into a half an hour conversation about the different between different cars, how they were made, and her own project of rebuilding a classic motorcycle, which also required explanation. Her understanding of cars went far beyond Jack's 'you put gas in it and it runs' description.

For the first time in many days Aragorn found his attention on something other than war and death.

I APOLOGIZE for taking so long between posts. I've been struggling with this fic, and it looks like it's finally starting to come together! So, hopefully there wont be another :clears throat: four, five month period between updates. I'm shooting for sometime in the next two weeks, so wish me luck!

And once again, thank you ALL of my reviewers, every last one of you. I LOVE YOU! Mental hugs for everyone!


	34. A Question of Hearts

Teal'c always considered himself brave.

It was a quality that a jaffa must have if he hoped to survive. Fear, doubt, self-consciousness, these were qualities that a soldier was not allowed the luxury of having. It was cut out, methodically and exactly, over years of hard training starting at the age of ten. Some jaffa, those of low rank and uncertain future, slipped through the cracks with these flaws intact, but as First Prime he was supposed to possess none of them. Sitting as he was now, he had his doubts about the successfulness of the process.

In his experience, it wasn't the dead one had to worry about. The dead couldn't hurt, couldn't give warning to their comrades. The dead couldn't speak, or move. If their spirits managed to reach the afterlife they had no more hold on this plane of existence, no abilities to harm those who had passed on.

The beings he found himself traveling with now, disproved his old assertions.

The army… he still wondered at it, an entire _army _of spirits, from archers to pikemen to calvary, moved easily behind him and his companions. He fought the urge to look over his shoulder, to make sure those spectral shapes didn't move any closer. And if they did? The only one who seemed able to stand against them was Aragorn. An army of the undead, cursed to walk this earth until their oaths were fulfilled. Even the punishments of the false gods paled in comparison to that.

"You look how I feel," O'Neill said at his side, casting a glance over his shoulder.

"Indeed," the jaffa answered, suppressing a shiver. It was unusual, this…fear. He hadn't actually feared something in a long time. Not for himself, at any rate.

The colonel sighed. "How is that we're the soldiers, but Daniel seems the most at ease with the weird stuff?"

Teal'c did look back then. Daniel was riding along with the spirits, seemingly undisturbed by the fact that he could see through them, or that they were three thousand years or more dead. He had a small flip book and was writing furiously as they spoke to him in turn. The archeologist always rushed in where a thousand soldiers would tread _very _lightly. Whether it was challenging the goa'uld themselves or reaching out a hand where the more prudent would retreat.

"Daniel Jackson is unique," he answered, leaving it at that.

O'Neill grunted. "Unique in the head."

"Does he not worry for his own safety?"

Jack laughed outright at that. "Daniel? Safety? The man doesn't know the meaning of the word."

The larger man agreed. Daniel was reckless at the best of times, too passionate by half. Still, he had enough courage for a battalion of jaffa, courage that had saved their lives more than once. "Perhaps this will be enough to triumph in Gondor."

"It better be," Jack muttered. "The deadliest army in the world, Aragorn called it. Give me five titan missile and a couple 50 cals. any day."

Teal'c would have preferred his staff weapon, perhaps a few dozen death gliders to strafe the field from the sky. He eyed the wicked looking blade one of the dead soldiers carried, hanging from the sheath on his horse. Soldiers, unable to be harmed, but able to inflict damage on others. A frightening concept; an army that was invincible in every way. His eyes flicked to Daniel, and the ghosts around him. He was engaged in conversation with one, while the others looked on, some hostilely. His eyes narrowed. If one of them tried to harm the archeologist, he would find out just how much damage he could inflict on something already dead.

* * *

Daniel glanced up when he felt eyes on him. Jack and Teal'c were both looking at him with equal concern. They gave him a final once over before turning away.

_Sigh._

"And that was how the battle of Madrafar really ended?" he asked.

The ghost next to him nodded gravely, the helmet it wore bobbing on the skull. "If it wasn't for Harrid, we would have taken the field."

Daniel jotted it all down, every scrap he could wring from them, whether it was about simple living conditions to major battles. He'd always wanted to speak to spirits, to learn what they knew. Only the dead truly knew what had happened in eons past. There was so much he'd wanted to know about the pyramids, everything really, that could only be known to someone who'd actually lived during their construction. Unfortunately for him, the only beings with that knowledge were all dead set on enslaving the earth again, and using him and his friends for pin cushions. He was left wanting what he'd always thought was impossible, while sifting through what remained for clues as to what happened.

Now he was finally getting his wish.

After getting around the most disturbing part (the fact that they were actual people; half decayed, see-through, but somehow still alive for all of that) he found himself drawn to them, to their knowledge. Most had looked at him skeptically, as if unsure of what he was hoping to find. Others took the opportunity to tell their tales. They spoke of families that had been left behind, farms and children long since lost to time. Others spoke of living as a soldier, and how that changed since their dying. All had the same despair though; the despair of men who abandoned their duty, and had paid a heavy price for it. His tape recorder and tapes, which he only had because he always carried them in his vest, had served him well through their journey. The fifteen small tapes were full, and that left his flip books, four of which were filled with cramped shorthand.

"We're almost to the Havens," Aragorn's called over his shoulder. It was eerie, how clearly his voice carried. He should have had to shout it to the first line, and had the message carried to the back of the nearly three thousand men traveling with them; shouted and gestured over the creaking of leather, the clop of horses and the conversations of the men. But there were none of these things. The ghosts moved silently, only a few quiet conversations could be heard like distant murmurs.

Daniel nodded. It would be nice to see something other than sheer rock faces and shrubs. He turned his attention back to Jaro. The man had been well over fifty when he died, and the list of battles he participated in seemed endless; from minor skirmishes to full on wars.

"Yo, Daniel, why don't you ride among the living for a while?"

The archeologist looked up. Jack was half-turned in his saddle, watching him expectantly.

"You should go, lad," Jaro said, gesturing with a skeletal hand. "You're commander has need of you."

_More like a need to get me away from you, _Daniel thought as he tucked his flip book away. "Maybe we'll talk again," he offered.

The specter nodded. "You're the first person in a thousand years who hasn't shushed me when I started talking," the grizzled ghost admitted, his features twisting in what might have been a smile. "The dead get sick of their own, in time."

* * *

Gimli watched Legolas, who was making a point of not looking in the direction of Samantha. A very obvious point, if you paid attention. The way he attempted to keep away from her since the celebration at Edoras, even when they were practicing. The dwarf turned his eyes to the human woman, who turned and focused all her attention on the path ahead. She, at least, wasn't pretending that Legolas didn't exist. In fact, she seemed to be attempting to catch his attention, attention the elf seemed determined not to give. This was a new trend in the relationship he and Aragorn had been observing. Usually the two of them pretended not to notice the other.

The dwarf ran a hand along the haft of his axe. He knew little about the taller races of middle earth. They were strange, and it was his opinion that the added height addled their brains. But, despite that height, there were some things that were common to all the races.

"My mother used to say that you shouldn't do things at night that would embarrass you in the light of day," Gimli said the words in a conversational tone, focusing on not falling off the blasted animal he was balanced on. He didn't need the elf whipping his head around, making sure no one else had heard the dwarf's quiet words, to know he hit the nail on the head. The elf, for his part, kept his eyes forward, though his hands tightened on the reins until his knuckles were white.

"My father admonished me to keep my ears out of business that was not my own," Legolas countered. "For fear someone might cut them off with an unkind word."

Gimli snorted. "Then you should be thankful my ears aren't nearly as large as yours. And dwarves usually tell each other when their being idiots."

The hands tightened further.

"You're hurting her more than yourself, you know." Gimli kept his tone even. "Whatever your reasons, it's not right." He let his hand move to his axe again. "If I weren't traveling with you both, I would be called upon to defend her honor."

_That_ did get a reaction. The elf turned his head slowly, the only part of him that did turn. His eyes were hard. "Then thankful you should be that Samantha's honor needs no defending." His head jerked back around so swiftly the dwarf wondered for a moment whether it had turned at all. That, and whether the wry twist to the elf's mouth had been his imagination.

Gimli shook his head. His friend might be older than any single creature had a right to be, but he was acting like a fool. He turned back to Samantha, who was watching the elf from the corner of her eye. Her eyes darted to him, then focused ahead of her again. The dwarf sighed, heeling his mount ahead of the now simmering elf. There had to be a way short of locking them both in a room to get the air between them cleared. And if not, if they survived Gondor, he was sure he could find a good small one to shove them in.

* * *

Legolas looked up at the bird wheeling overhead, the large white wings unfamiliar to him. They were coming close to the Ethir Anduin, the delta where the great river met the sea. The bird was joined by another, and its call froze him in his saddle, an odd, keening cry that tore at something inside him.

_"Beware, Legolas, son of Thranduil. Long has your family denied the call of the Valar to travel the straight road. I fear the call of birds may carry your heart to the shining halls long before your body decides to follow."_

Galadriel's words echoed in his mind, vying with the sound of the birds. There were more now, the closer they came to the delta. He had forgotten that warning after the elf queen gave it. Those few short weeks seemed months gone, a strange feeling for one as long lived as he. There was another call, and another. The elf grimaced as the pull returned, stronger this time.

"Are you not well, Legolas?"

The blonde started in his saddle. For the first time he noticed he was standing still, the ghostly shapes of the army floating past him. Teal'c was next to him, a concerned expression marring his normally calm features. The elf smiled, little more than a pulling of his features. "I am well, Teal'c," he reassured his companion, and heeled his horse into motion.

The trees parted suddenly, and he found himself staring at a wide, flat swarth that seemed to cut it's way north of them. Even his eyes strained to see the far end, where the greenery of trees began again. There were patches of vegetation in the wide, flat space, and tall, near branchless trees that towered above fields of thin, tall grass.

"Erith Anduin," he breathed the words.

"Looks kinda like the Mississippi," Jack said, somewhere to his left. "Without the shipyards, and factories, and oil pipelines…"

Aragorn was dismounting just behind the tree line. "We stay here the night," the Ranger said as he pulled his saddle from Brego. "Gandalf said the corsairs were moving along the coast. We should be a step ahead of them." He turned to the leader of the army.

The specter nodded. "We spare nothing but the ships, as you commanded, my Lord."

The ranger nodded in return. "And your runners?"

A ripple went through the green host, and ten separated themselves from the group. "We have delivered you message to the Duné dain, King Aragorn," one of them spoke. "And to what groups of rangers we found. All know to come to Gondor and fight under the banner of King Theoden."

"…like cellphones." The voice belonged to Daniel. The elf had a vague idea of what a cell phone was from one of their many discussion of the earth their companions came from, though how a small box could allow you to speak instantly with someone thousands of miles away was still beyond him. Legolas agreed. The ten were given orders before they left the halls of the dead to carry north.

"A hard ride will see them in Gondor before us," another transparent figure reported. "Most were already traveling to the Black Gates themselves."

Legolas busied himself unsaddling his horse. Gimli was getting help from Samantha, which meant he spent most of his time looking daggers at the elf. Samantha, for her part, was ignoring him now, which was just as well. She was still searching for a way to return to her home, and he wouldn't make her choose between him and where she belonged.

* * *

_Go talk to him._

Go to hell.

_You first._

Sam grimaced as she settled further into her blankets. A fire would alert the pirates if they arrived before dawn, so the only light was from the halfmoon. Her breath misted in front of her, and she sighed. As far as she could tell, it was sometime in early March. The weather was warm enough during the day, but the temperature dropped as soon as the sun set. At least it was warmer here than it had been in Edoras.

_You should go talk to him._

Sam turned over, reaching in her shirt. She pulled out the small pendant, running a finger over the smooth edges of the leaf. She almost dropped it when it flashed, then shook her head. Of course it would flash, there was enough moonlight to cause a good sparkle.

_Get off your ass or I'll never shut up._

The major growled and threw her blankets off. Teal'c and Gimli were on watch, and both turned to stare at her. Thankfully, it was too dark in the tree line for them to see the flush that was trying to crawl into her hairline. After pulling on her boots, and stumbling twice, she broke through the trees. And gaped.

The sinuous lines of the delta were silver in the moonlight, glittering with the current. They were on a small bluff, barely ten feet tall, but the few was phenomenal. A dark shape was outlined against that vista.

Legolas.

As quietly as she could she walked over to him. He was wearing his cape with the hood thrown back, and as she came alongside him she saw that his eyes were closed. **All right, I'm here. Now what the hell do I say?**

Her only answer was silence.

"You should be asleep, Samantha."

The major jumped. The elf's eyes were still closed, and he hadn't moved a muscle. "Nervous energy," she said nonchalantly, sitting down on the edge of the bluff. Curled up like this, with her cloak spread around her, was much warmer than standing up against the wind coming off the delta. "Shouldn't you be asleep?"

"Elves need little sleep."

"Oh." Sam focused on a small black dot hovering over a small stream. The dot dived, disappearing under the silver water and reappearing a few seconds later with a thin shape dangling from it. "Kingfisher," she said absently. Or the Middle Earth equivalent of one. She looked up at the elf. "I wanted to talk to you about Edoras." There, that was direct enough.

The blonde elf did look at her then, then looked out over the delta. "I apologize for forcing my attentions on you," he said solemnly. "If I've offended-" The elf's words were cut off with a strangled yelp as he was jerked off his feet.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Sam let go of his cloak. "Are you all right?"

In answer the elf folded his legs in front of him. "You had every right to do that." He didn't even sound upset. "I deserve that, and more, for what I've done."

Sam just stared at him. "So… I had nothing to do with that kiss?"

"Samantha-"

"I wasn't a completely willing participant?"

He flushed. "Please-"

"You just forced yourself on me?"

"Listen-"

"No, you listen." Sam poked the elf in the chest. "You weren't doing anything I didn't want you to do. _Either _time." She wanted to smile when the elf's eyes widened.

Legolas looked abashed. "The first time we were both unsure of our chances of survival." Sam rolled her eyes, but he continued. "The second we had imbibed far too much alcohol to-"

"Oh no." She poked him in the chest again. "You're not pulling a drunken prom date excuse on me." She noted his look of confusion. "You don't know the prom date thing, but you get the meaning."

The confusion melted away, leaving an expression of grim determination. "What would you have me say, Samantha?"

Sam rested her forehead on her knees. "Let's start with not placing all the blame on you." She looked up. The elf was watching her now. "Maybe you're not used to it, but where I'm from the woman has a say in the relationship. You've seen me fight. If I didn't want you to kiss me, I think I could have let you know." She grabbed his thumb and pulled it backwards to prove her point.

"Be that as it may," Legolas jerked his hand free and shook away some of the pain. "I have led you to believe something was possible that cannot happen."

_That _caught her attention. "Are you married?"

"No-"

"Betrothed?"

For a moment she thought he was going to say yes. The no that did come out was quieter than the first.

"Then what is the problem? What's wrong with this?" She gestured between them. In the back of her mind lingered the thought that they were on this journey to find the stargate and a way home. The further they traveled, the more she had time to juggle the complex equations, the more she realized that the chances of them getting home were on par with George singing _I'm a Little Teapot_ and dancing around the base in a pink tutu. And if she had to stay in a strange universe, she should at least be happy.

The feel of a hand tracing her jaw brought the major out of her thoughts. Legolas was watching her. When her eyes focused on him he turned away.

"Elves can die of grief."

Sam turned her head. The elf was staring out over the delta again. When he spoke again his voice was hushed and hollow.

"Our bodies are designed to handle great strain. I can see farther, run longer, and swim faster than any human. It is our hearts that are our weakness. We cannot begin to love, and then stop. If you were to die, my heart would not bear the pain. Your death would kill me as surely as an arrow through the heart. Even if you were to leave, the pain of not having you near would have the same affect."

Sam sat, stunned. What were you supposed to say when someone told you your death would kill them? That if you were to leave, it would kill them? She'd heard it before, from some of her more melodramatic boyfriends, but this wasn't melodrama.

He looked towards the trees where their group slept. "Whether he wishes it or not, Arwen will suffer when he dies, forced to walk this world alone until her body cannot take the pain of her grief, and then she was pass to Valinor." His eyes crinkled. "Even then, she will be alone, for humans cannot follow us in the afterlife." He was looking at her again, his eyes sad. "Our future is not certain. Either of us could die tomorrow, or when we reach Gondor. I would not burden you with my death."

"So this has nothing to do with my morning breath?"

The question made them both laugh, banishing the worst of their melancholy. A bird cried, far off, and he turned towards the sound. "There is something else as well. My people are being called home by the Valar, called to Valinor across the sea, where no mortal can follow." He closed his eyes. "Most have gone, but I have denied the call for many long years, but none can, once we hear the waves." He smiled then, the expression full of loss. "It's like hearing a lullaby for the first time since infancy." The smile faded. "It seems we are not meant to be, Samantha."

The two of them stared out over the water for a long time, neither speaking or moving. Sam couldn't believe it. Somewhere karma was probably laughing her ass off. It seemed that no matter what, she wasn't meant to be with anyone. Martuf, Nereem, even her _thankfully_ short infatuation with the colonel. There was always something in the way.

Not this time.

Without saying a word, Sam wrapped her arms around the elf and kissed him. For a moment he sat stunned, then began to return the kiss. She put everything she was feeling into it, tried to convey everything she could in that one moment. She pulled away to rest her forehead against his. "Do you care for me?" she asked. She would have said love, but she wasn't about to tempt the fates too much yet. "Don't tell me the reasons why we shouldn't. Do you care?"

"Yes."

If she could, Sam would have stood up and done backflips, but at the moment she wasn't sure her legs would support her. "Good," she answered after letting his response sink in. "Because I care for you. I'll make you a promise; I wont die if you don't. Deal?"

"Samantha-"

"Deal?" She rubbed the tips of his ears. She was still fascinated with them, even after seeing them for so many months. His reaction wasn't what she suspected. The blonde shivered, his arms tightening around her. "Deal."

"Good." She moved away, filing away the ear information for a later date. A bluff was no place to finish what they were starting. "Don't forget."

She practically skipped back to camp.

* * *

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for reading all of this guys! I'm so happy that you're having as much fun reading as I am writing! As usual, massive apologies for taking so long getting this chapter out. Thank you to each and every person who reviewed and didn't give up faith that I would come back to this. A billion thanks!

Now, a few Author's notes for people who've read the book and are now calling for my blood.

I know I moved them from Pelargir to the mouth of the Anduin, but it worked for the final scene. And on the Dunedain, for those of you who don't know, are Aragorn's people, but I don't know how they would have gotten in touch with him, so that's improvised as well. Anything that doesn't fit, just take it as artistic license.


	35. Recovery

The worst word in any language had to be battlefield.

The thought passed through Daniel's mind as their small contingent made its way towards Minas Tirith. Bodies littered the field like refuse; piles of what had once been proud men growing as the survivors sorted through the dead. The moans of the dying were quiet compared to those of the living; soldiers calling out for their brothers in arms, some openly weeping as a friend or relative was found. More than once the archeologist saw a would-be rescuer bring his sword slashing down, the empty silence that followed deafening.

Even older children were called upon to help; boys and girls carrying the living into Minas Tirith in a thin trickle compared to the steady stream of the dead carried or dragged outside the city walls. There were moans and cries here as well, as men and women sorted through the remains.

Daniel veered back onto the field, quick steps taking him to a hand flexing slowly beneath the body of an orc. "Methas?" In his memory the boy, barely turned eighteen, was dancing on a table in Edoras celebrating their victory in Helm's Deep with laughter making his brown eyes sparkle. Now they were glazed, his teeth and lips red with blood. How long had he been lying there?

"Da... dan..."

"Don't talk," Daniel told him, laying a comforting hand on his forehead. The boy's skin was cold. His eyes went to the Methas's chest. The plated leather armor was slashed through in a long arc extending from right shoulder to left hip. "Over here!" He shouted, trying to get the attention of a carrier.

"No..." the man's hand shifted from his side and Daniel shuddered. The wound was mortal, his insides held together by the armor alone. Even if Methas did make it to their doctors, he wouldn't survive. Brown eyes locked with blue, and Daniel knew what he was asking.

The archeologist shook his head. "No... I can't..."

A hand lifted, locking on his vest with surprising strength as his eyes darted down looking for his short swords. "Please..."

There was no way to know how long Methas had laid there, no way to determine how long he would suffer. Daniel had read accounts from centuries past of generals and kings who suffered for days, even weeks, before succumbing to blood poisoning or other ailments. A scrap of one, an Old Kingdom manuscript, came to him.

_If the victual sack is punctured, death is slow, painful, and assured._

Daniel nodded, one hand lifting to catch the one clutching his shirt. His hand drifted to his short sword and faltered, then moved to hover over the man's mouth. Short, humid breath wafted over his palm.

_Please..._

His hand covered most of the man's face, cutting off his air. The fingers gripping his tightened. He didn't know any prayers for the dying, not for Rohan, but something tickled at his memory, a scrap of an old poem.

"May Freya fill your cups with wine, warrior, when you enter her halls," he said softly, slowly. It wasn't a prayer but it would have to be enough. "And your feet know the touch of soft grass." The suction on his palm was weakening, the fingers going slack " May peace be found in death's embrace, to which we all must go."

He kept his hand in place for another minute before he reached out to press Methas's eyes closed. When he looked up people were still milling in small groups, finding survivors and carrying them away, adding bodies to the piled dead. Across the field an old soldier, Ulta he thought, met his eyes and nodded his head solemnly before picking up a corpse and slinging it over his shoulder.

_He'd thank you, if he could,_ Daniel told himself as he placed the boy's shattered sword on his chest, etching the name onto the mental list he was keeping of the dead. _It was better than lying there, waiting to die._

The thought was cold comfort.

* * *

The next few days were like moving through jelly.

It was years since Jack experienced shell shock, not since Charlie died and that shock replaced the other. He remembered spending whole days staring at nothing, feeling nothing. Rubbing his wrists raw trying to remind himself that there was nothing _there_; no shackles, just skin and bone. Waking up in the middle of the night smelling dried sweat and blood, feces and baking sand. Pelenor Field brought back all those old memories, fermented and well aged.

At least here the cold kept down the smells.

So many had died in the battle of Pelenor Field, more in Minas Tirith itself and at that last stand at the very gates of Mordor, that it boggled the mind. More had died than had lived, and it would take generations to make up the manpower lost in that last battle.

Everything had happened so fast he barely had time to think, just react. It was pretty sweet, fighting when the ghosts (he still had a hard time wrapping his mind around that) had already cleared a wide path. It didn't keep him from getting hurt, unfortunately for him. Jack had just enough time to realize his leg wasn't just complaining for no reason before he was dragging himself back outside Minas Tirith with the rest of his team. By rights, he shouldn't have been there, not with a busted leg. But if Merry could drag his ass out of bed to fight after damn near dying so could he. They were all running on pure adrenaline by then, even Legolas. Jack had chuckled to himself when he realized that if they managed to live through all this they were going to crash for a week, minimum.

The final battle, as it happened, was rather anti-climatic.

Jack knew evil, knew the glee with which a guo'uld could torture and main innocent people, but that didn't compare with the malevolence that he felt staring at them when the Black Gates opened. That kind of darkness the snake-heads could only dream of achieving, thank God. He had vague impressions to go by after seeing that big ass eye in the distance: crowds of sweating, screaming orcs and men, rumbling ground, the feel of his sword sinking into something slick and oozing. Then nothing. The first real impression he had after that was waking up to someone changing the wrapping on his leg. Not only had he managed to break it, he also sprained his ankle on top of that.

Figured.

At least he wasn't the only one laid up. Sam had a lot more bruises than the last time he saw her along with several stitches along her arms, and Daniel was sporting another line of stitches across his chin. Teal'c had a patch of pale lines running over his scalp instead of a good scar, thanks to his symbiote. Even Legolas, Mr. No-Matter-What-Happens-I-Always-Look-Like-I-Just-Stepped-Out-Of-The-Shower had a few bruises and a broken wrist. Jack knew he shouldn't have been happy about that, but he was.

The colonel was currently limping down a hallway, hiding from his overzealous nurse and her entourage of giggling ladies. Seemed being a hero also made him a prime catch, and he had girls as young as fifteen waiting in line to show him how caring and responsible they could be. He would have been flattered if he didn't know each of them was sniffing for a husband.

"No balm for my pride," he muttered to himself, taking a shaky hop forward. The makeshift crutches he was using were better than nothing, and that was about all he could say.

"If you fall, Ilna will skin you."

The words came from his right and Jack jumped left. Or tried to. His crutch chose that moment to plant itself in the smooth stone floor, and the colonel was losing his balance. A hand reached out of the alcove and steadied him before he went full sprawl.

Aragorn watched Jack curse in his own language but resisted the urge to help further. His guards were already telling tales about the foul tempered colonel yelling at anyone who tried to help him. He shouldn't have startled the other man while he was so focused on staying upright.

"Morning," Jack said when his legs were firmly beneath him again. "How goes the ruling thing?"

A smile lifted half the man's mouth. "As well as can be expected."

"Ahhh…" Jack continued down the hall. There was a kitchen somewhere in this place, and he was sick of broths and bread. "You're hiding too."

"Attempting to find a moment of peace, Jack."

_Sure, _the colonel thought but didn't let out. All Jack O'Neill had to worry about at the moment was finding something to eat, not busting his leg up any worse than it already was, and waking up married to a sixteen year old (not a bad thing. He'd woken up married before. Fun, until he started aging in moth years). Aragorn had to worry about fixing Minas Tirith, rebuilding a kingdom, and caring for the sick and injured.

And that was before lunch.

It was a wonder he didn't look more… henpecked. Jack would be tearing his hair out in large clumps if he had half the things to deal with. Point of fact, Aragorn looked rather spiffy. A good bath, some soap, and the mother of all conditioners certainly did a lot for the Ranger's appearance.

"Any luck on finding the DHD?" He asked, changing the subject.

_That_ at least had been a silver lining on a very dim cloud. A week ago Aragorn had sent teams into Minas Morgul to catalogue whatever the stone citadel held and to search for the stargate at his friend's insistence. The gate was easy to find, since it was hard to hide a nearly fifteen foot tall circle. The DHD, however, was playing a game of hide and seek.

"Not yet." Aragorn fell into step next to him. "They have searched non-stop since the _restiina _was discovered."

Which meant that they would have to dial home manually if Carter managed to think of a way to power the gate in the first place.

Damn complications.

* * *

"Okay, try it now, Pip."

There was the sharp crack of electricity, the smell of ozone, and the sight of a hobbit waddling over covered in char that greeted Sam when she looked up from her experiment.

"Did it work?"

If she could, Sam would smuggle Pippin onto Earth if she ever managed to get the battery she was working on up and running. He was one of the best assistants she'd ever had. The hobbit had been burned, shocked, scorched, and soaked since he agreed to help her with finding a way to charge the stargate, all without a single complaint. He was actually pretty bright when he calmed down, and came up with some of the most ingenious ideas for storing power without the advantage of advanced tools. She was actually starting to make some headway.

At least, until someone noticed that five tanning vats were missing, along with ten sword blades, gallons of vinegar and mass amounts of copper from all around Minas Tirith.

The end result of a week's worth of tampering, guesswork, and outright stealing were the five vats, each as tall as she was, filled with vinegar with a sword in a copper cage floating in each. It was promising, if she wanted to wait a few years for the gate to collect enough power to turn on.

"I think we're getting there, Pippin," she huffed, packing away her makeshift voltmeter. She needed something more acidic. Sulfuric acid, maybe. Easy to make, hard as hell to store, though. Something a little less strong, then. She had the run of the city's alchemical works on Aragorn's order, she could cook up something.

"So you'll be going home, then?" Pippin asked. The question was meant to be light, unconcerned, but Sam could feel the shadow hanging in the words.

"Not for a while," she answered, swinging the large door on the barn they overtook shut. The way things were looking, getting home was turning into an impossibility.

The two walked through Minas Tirith, skirting the piles of rubble still littering the city. Most of the smaller debris was already gone, but the larger chunks of stone required more manpower than they had available.

_Mithril, _Sam thought. _Maybe mithril would be a better conductor than copper._ If they could predict the next lightening storm she could power the gate that way. Daniel and Jack had done it before; it would give her 500 MJ to work with instead of a few hundred volts. If the weather in Middle Earth proved to be like that of _their _earth, she'd have to wait months before a good thunder storm hit the area. An image flashed in Sam's mind, one of Gandalf standing on the bridge in Moria, lightning called out of nowhere hitting his sword.

As mental slaps went the one Sam gave herself should have left bruises. She'd been wasting her time with simple batteries when she could have been using their own lightning in a bottle.

Middle Earth was definitely bad for her brain.

* * *

"You think this one's better than the others?"

General Hammond paced around his office, aware of the large eyes following his every move.

The shorter one, Loki, nodded. "We have searched over five thousand permutations resulting from this address. Of that, only a fifth are capable of establishing contact."

The general stopped and stared at the three-dimensional image floating above the conference table. It showed the stargate centered in a grove of trees. The image twisting every now and then, affording a new angle. "SG1 wouldn't travel far from the gate without leaving some sign that they were there."

"Perhaps they were forced to leave for reasons unknown." _That _was Odin, the chief science officer of the Asgard assigned to help with finding his team. "We've yet to see signs of violence, but there were definite life force readings the last time the wormhole was established."

"Humanoid life," Loki clarified. "Perhaps twenty males and ten females. The language was not comparable to English."

The Asgard ran his hand over the device and the sound of several men talking echoed through the room.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to get this to our linguist."

"Certainly." Odin pulled out a small disk. "I believe this will be compatible with most of your computer systems. There were other sounds you should be aware of, General Hammond. We detected sharp metallic resonances, which indicate weapons and armor. Sending your men to this location may prove dangerous."

The general sighed. "What are the chances of this planet being the one SG1 was sent to?"

Odin blinked placidly. "The chances that this is the correct permutation are incalculable as there are infinite dimensions."

"General, perhaps it is time to face that there may be no finding your men," Loki's voice was soft but insistent. "They are well trained, and will survive in any environment that is remotely hospitable to human life."

"I won't give up on my team," Hammond's voice was soft but firm. "So long as you are willing to continue, so are we. Tell the search and rescue team that it's a go."

The two Asgard nodded. "We will inform your men that you approve of searching the area. We will inform you of any new information."

The three walked to the gateroom before Loki spoke again. "Corporal Hennessey and his team would like to extend their time with us, General," the alien said. "They would like your permission to remain for another week."

Hammond smiled ruefully. "Inform SG12 that the assignment was for two week stretches, and we have plenty of personnel waiting for a turn to search for SG1. No extension is needed."

The general watched the two aliens go through the stargate with a heavy heart. Almost four months of searching and there was still no evidence that O'Neill and his team were alive. Some part of him wanted to let go, face that they might never come back. The larger part of him, the part that kept him alive throughout his career, told him not to stop. Four people were out there looking for a way to come home, and as long as he was in command they wouldn't give up.

"You better be alive when we find you, O'Neill," he muttered to himself. "Otherwise you'll have a lot of explaining to do.

* * *

WOW:::looks at last time I updated and falls out of chair:

As always, I apologize for taking so long to get this chapter out. It's filler, I know, but… well… okay, no excuse, but I didn't think you guys wanted me to go over the whole last thirty minutes of the film, which strangely enough was what got me stuck. My muse has been cheating on Stargate, the shameful hussy. I had a wicked case of Stargate writers block, but there's only one more chapter left, so hopefully it will stay gone until it's written.

Special OMG cookies for all thanks goes out to everyone who reviewed the last chapter and my little (okay, not so little) rant. You're support means so much to me, and thank you hardly covers it. If I could, I would bake cakes for you all and send them through the mail, but since the postal service frowns on this practice, you'll have to settle for mental glomping.

See ya next time, which hopefully won't take six months

Writegirl.


	36. Saying Goodbye

"Okay, everyone. Clear!"

Thunder cracked overhead, followed by a bolt of lightning that seemed to come from the stone ceiling. Two more bolts followed in quick succession, the noise deafening in the confined space.

Daniel blinked away the white afterimage and focused on the Stargate, brushing his hands against his arms. Electricity vibrated in the air, made the hair on his arms stand out straight. The three lightening strikes, courtesy of Gandalf, left scorch marks on the naquadah. A hum came from the gate, a sound he wouldn't have thought to hear again.

Sam tapped the gate and waved them closer. "We still have to dial manually, guys. We're aiming for PJH-473."

The archeologist moved into position and heaved. Shifting the circular dial was easier than most people would imagine. The ring itself weighed over a ton but the balance was perfect, allowing for such an emergency tactic as dialing by hand. Despite whatever internal mechanics that made it easy to move it was still hard enough for a sheen of sweat to break out under his clothes.

"All right, stop!"

He, Teal'c, Jack, Sparan, and Yurn slowed the circle to a halt, centering the first symbol on the chevron. After several breathless seconds Sam sighed. "Melix, I need you to push in your chevron."

The Gondoran glanced skeptically at Sam then turned his attention to the piece of stone that was nearly the size of his torso. With a grimace the big man planted his feet and shoved. Daniel shook his head in sympathy when his chest made painful contact with the gate. Sam had warned the Gondorans that it took less force to move each chevron than they thought.

After several seconds the chevron activated, glowing burnt amber in the dim light.

Sam's smile was full of anticipation. "Okay, one down, seven to go."

When the second chevron had to be engaged manually the archeologist began to wonder. Before, when dialing manually, the gate's chevrons would activate automatically once a symbol was centered. Anxiety started to chip away at the small hope he'd harbored.

After the third chevron a dull rumble began beneath their feet. The Stargate vibrated, making the scattered tools bounce on the polished stone. Daniel hadn't seen such a rough power up since the first time the military got the Stargate to work back on Earth.

When the fourth chevron activated without Yurn's help Daniel felt hope start fighting back. They might do it; they might be able to go home.

_But what home? _He wondered. If they were really on Earth in another dimension getting home might be impossible. They could spend the rest of their lives trying to find a civilization capable of helping them. _We might be able to talk to Nox into it, _he reasoned. The Nox were the most advanced race he could think of, maybe advanced enough to help them find their dimension. That was, if the Nox existed in this dimension. And if they did, if they could convince them to come out of hiding.

"Seventh symbol in place!" Samantha yelled over the noise.

The seventh chevron engaged, and after a high pitched whine the gate went silent, the chevrons settling back into their original positions.

The collective sigh from the four was loud in the silence.

"Nice try, Carter," Jack gave her shoulder a pat. "There's still what, two million combinations to try?"

Samantha didn't smile. She was staring at the gate with single-minded intensity.

Gandalf stepped forward. "Perhaps it would be best to rest, Samantha. Give yourself time, and you will find the answer."

"Or try to tear the thing apart with her bare hands," Jack filled in quietly.

* * *

"Are you sure this is the correct dimension, Loki?"

Thor blinked placidly as his fellow Asgard held up a portable scanner. Light flashed along the walls as the device activated, turning the dark, smooth stone translucent for a fraction of a second before moving in a slow wave into the dim corridor. In seconds a complete three-dimensional representation of the building spun slowly in front of them, several spots denoting human life forms flashed red. A formidable building, even if made of stone. Wooden torches threw flickering yellow light along the walls, bright spots of illumination in the darkness. There was no sign of gua'uld technology, no artificial light. A primitive world, then, obviously populated. Perhaps they would have some luck.

"The readings indicate that we have reached designate 4566." Loki answered.

Thor turned back to the corridor ahead of them. "Are there any readings to indicate that O'Neill has been in the immediate area?"

Loki examined the portable scanner. "The bio-scan indicates there is an energy signature that is similar to O'Neill's, but it has faded. It is perhaps three days old."

Thor walked further into the room as the Stargate went dark, giving Loki time to examine his companion without being observed. Thor had insisted on taking this journey without SG-9, as they were supposed to. In fact, Thor had begun doing many things he was not supposed to after learning that the human O'Neill had gone missing. Loki didn't know if his friend knew, or even cared, that there were several rumors floating through their world about his behavior.

Asgard as a rule did not feel more than a passing concern for other species, yet Thor had taken it upon himself to champion the cause of finding O'Neill. Loki admitted that the strange human had a unique charm, and after reviewing what had happened in the archive of the Ancients that his ability, however untapped, was remarkable. Still, there were limits to what the Asgard could achieve with wormhole manipulation, and Thor seemed intent on pushing them to the breaking point. Perhaps it was time to speak with his friend on what had become his obsession.

The sound of heavy feet running on stone interrupted the Asgard's thoughts. Two men, human from their appearance, were running down the wide corridor, armor covering them from head to foot. Twenty feet from them the humans stopped and raised short bows, arrows knocked; primitive, but effective weapons.

Loki could have sighed. The questioning of peoples they'd met in those universes where the planet was populated was normally a waste of time, and he had important research to attend to. Fortunately they had a usable bio-signal to work with. If O'Neill was not here, had had _been _here, and recently. That only meant narrowing down how many Stargates were accessible from this point. A far simpler task than continuing to investigating the endless dimensions they came across.

One of the humans shouted a challenge. Two hundred and seventy-five thousand languages had been encountered during their search, each one unique. Fascinating that a people could develop along the same lines but be so drastically different. In the few parallel dimensions the Asgard studied their own people were the same, perhaps with slight differences, but otherwise uniform.

The human continued to yell at the two Asgard, and Loki frowned. "Their language seems to have no recognizable correlation to any in our database. The neural scanner is necessary."

When Thor raised his hand an arrow flew, stopping short of them by several feet as the personal shield activated. The light of the neural scanner engulfed the nearest soldier, sending him to his knees. Loki noted the reaction with interest. Most human's lost consciousness while they were being scanned, the disparate stimuli too much for their nervous systems to handle. More arrows followed the first, and the sound of more humans approaching. Loki fingered a flat, round device hanging around his neck. If the humans became too violent it would send a pulse rendering them unconscious long enough for them to return to their own dimension. "Are you finished, Thor?"

The other Asgard nodded. "Their language has been translated fully, Loki. You should receive the translation momentarily." Thor turned back to the humans. "I am Thor of the Asgard," he started slowly and carefully. The translators, while effective, were still lacking when it came to proper inflection. "My Companion is Loki. We are not enemies." He extended a hand in greeting. "We are searching for friends of ours. Perhaps you have seen them?"

There were twelve humans now, some with swords drawn, all staring at them with malice. Another curious thing. The humans they encountered usually expressed fear, even terror. These men looked at them as if they were old enemies. Enemies they would like nothing more than to dispose of. "Perhaps the visual aides will help, Thor," he suggested.

His companion nodded and opened his palm. An image of O'Neill sprang to being above his hand. "This is one of the four we are searching for," Thor continued calmly. "He is-"

"O'Neill?" The oldest of the humans stepped forward, eyes glittering behind his helm. "You search for O'Neill?"

The image disappeared. "You know him?"

The human seemed reluctant to speak, but nodded. "He is in Minas Tirith with his companions."

Thor nearly vibrated with enthusiasm. "We would like very much to see O'Neill as soon as possible. I have no doubt he will be pleased to see us as well."

* * *

When Bruak found Jack in the armory and told him little grey people had come through the stone ring the colonel felt like someone had pushed him out of a plane. That anything had come through the Stargate was a miracle in itself, and there was only one race he knew of that were small, grey, and might have even a remote interest in finding him. When he saw the two Asgard standing placidly in the middle of the throne room draped in borrowed cloaks he would have jumped for joy if his leg could take the strain.

"Thor!" Jack limped hurriedly to the small Asgard with a smile. He'd never thought he'd see the alien again. "Nice ta see ya!" He turned to the other Asgard. "And Loki! Never thought I'd see you two together."

"I am glad to see you again as well O'Neill," Thor replied.

"Likewise," Loki added after a moment's pause.

Jack was tempted to hug them, but thought better of it at the last minute. The Asgard didn't even touch each other; he doubted Thor would appreciate a full body hug. "When'd you get in?" he asked instead, limping to a chair. Ilna had finally decided to let him off the crutches, but his leg still throbbed something fierce if he stood too long; and he'd practically ran to the throne room when he was told there were two small, grey creatures waiting for him.

"We arrived a short while ago." Thor's gaze went to his leg. "You are injured."

Jack waved a hand. "It's healing. How in the hell did you-" before he could finish the sentence he was enveloped by light. The twinges in his leg stopped immediately, so did the pain in his shoulder and neck. God, he'd forgotten how good alien tech could be. "Don't suppose you'd be willing to use that on a few hundred more people, would you?"

Loki and Thor exchanged glances. "Perhaps."

"Good, we got a lotta people who need it," Jack said as he unwrapped his leg and flexed it. Not a single twinge from knee or ankle. He let the wrappings and braces fall to the floor. "So, how the hell did you get here? Carter thought we were stuck." At least until she refined her latest set of formulas, and who knew how long that would take without a calculator.

It was Loki who spoke. "We have been searching alternate dimensions for nearly eleven of your Earth months, O'Neill," he said. "Your General Hammond will be pleased to learn you are well."

General Hammond. Jack sniffed. God, if this was a dream he'd be pissed when he woke up. Or crying like a three year old girl. "How is the old man?"

Before Loki could speak Daniel's voice rang in from the other end of the hall. "Jack, everyone's talking about something coming through…"

Jack twisted around as Daniel walked further into the room, four hobbits trailing him. "Daniel, you remember Thor. Loki."

It took five more minutes for the rest of the group to trail in. After a lengthy introduction Aragorn, Gandalf and Loki were discussing the use of their medical equipment on those in need. The two men were open but wary, and more than happy to accept any help for the injured. On the other hand the hobbits and Gimli seemed very interested in the newcomers. From the sound of it, Gimli was trying to figure out if they were a form of grey, bald dwarf.

"Daniel, you seen Sam?"

The archeologist stopped in the middle of explaining other species to Gandalf. "No, I thought she was with you?"

Jack turned to Teal'c. "I have not seen her since early this rising, O'Neill."

The colonel frowned. Carter should have been the first person to run here once she heard someone had come through the Stargate.

A muted harrumph from Gimli caught Jack's attention. Even beneath his beard, Jack could see he was blushing. "Gimli?"

The dwarf threw up his hands. "She's in a third basement with that bedamned elf," he grumbled.

"Gimli?" Aragorn repeated, stepping towards their companion.

The dwarf pointed a stubby finger at the former Ranger. "You said all they needed was a little push. So they've been pushed. Into one of the store rooms."

Jack sighed, one hand latching onto the back of Gimli's coat. "Come on, matchmaker," he said as they walked towards the double doors. "Lead the way. Daniel, Teal'c," he tossed over his shoulder. "If we haven't come back by the time the Asgard are ready to get more supplies, give 'em as escort, will ya?"

* * *

Sam had given up trying to call for help some time ago. Her throat was sore, as was her hand. Besides, someone would come looking for them.

Eventually.

It's not that she objected to her company. When Gimli had lead her down into the lower basements of the citadel with tales of some strange machine she'd actually been excited. First and foremost was the thought that he'd found the DHD. She couldn't believe she'd actually gone into the dark room first. It wasn't until she was a good five feet in that she heard the muffled yelling of Legolas, who was tied up and stuffed behind several barrels. Too late to do anything when the door slammed behind her with a rather loud crash.

"Don't suppose we'll die of hunger down here," she mused as she settled on a cask of brandy. The head of the cask was dusty, the date more than a century old. Dried goods hung from the rafters, neatly dated bags of dried meat and fruits. No, they wouldn't starve, but she was definitely killing Gimli when he came to let them out.

Legolas smiled at her words, the expression almost lost in the dim lamp light. "Gimli would have seen to that. I believe he means to keep us here until we admit to our feelings for each other."

It was Sam's turn to smirk. "We did that, didn't we?"

"Dwarves are a strange race," Legolas answered. "For them, admitting our feelings would be announcing a wedding feast."

Sam started to laugh, but trailed off at the elf's expression. "You're serious?" she asked. She liked Legolas. More than liked him. But marriage?

"Dwarves do not do things in half-measures."

She fought down the urge to start banging on the door again, this time more forcefully. She was going to shave Gimli's beard for this, something Legolas assured her was the worst possible punishment for a dwarf. Scratch that, she was going to make _him _shave it. And his head. "And elves?" she ventured.

Despite what they'd said month's ago, she and Legolas hadn't gone any further into a relationship. They were friends; sometimes she thought they could be more than friends. But she was still trying to find a way home. Common sense, something she had in overabundance, made her steer clear of the elf.

If not for the dim light, she would have sworn he was blushing. "Elves have several different levels of courtship to assure that the two are serious about devoting themselves to each other. Elven marriages are bonds for life."

Which meant eternal, since elves didn't die. At least, not like humans did. "No room for two people to be just a little more than friends?" she ventured, then mentally slapped herself. No use even poking that dragon. They were friends. Period.

**That's right. Stuck in the 'Just Friends' box. You should be disgusted with yourself. **The Bitch's tone said she felt more than enough disgust for both of them.

Sam ignored the voice. It was Jolinar, she'd found out, after the voice let slip something about Tok'ra not being as prudish as humans seemed to enjoyed pretending to be. As far as she could measure, some remnant of the Tok'ra operative had blended with part of her psyche. Knowing she had what amounted to another woman in her head wasn't as bad as fearing she was losing her mind. She'd learn to live with it.

If not, there were several different drugs that might be useful.

Legolas took a deep breath, but as he started to speak a dull thud came from the other side of the door. "Carter, you in there?"

_Great, the man has perfect timing. _"Sir?" She stood and walked to the door. "We're in here."

"You decent? Or should I come back in a few hours?"

Sam blushed and cast a glanced at Legolas. He was blushing so hard she could see it despite the dim light. "Open the door, Colonel."

There was the sound of metal shrieking against metal, then a sliver of torchlight appeared, followed by Jack's head. "You fancy a trip through the 'Gate, Carter?"

The question brought her up short. "The 'Gate, sir?"

"While you were busy, we got visitors." He held out his hand. "Bought yea tall, grey, big eyes."

"Asgard?" It was too good to be true. They'd been found.

Jack snapped his fingers. "That's the one. Looks like we're going home, after all." Something on the other side of the door caught his attention. "Hey!" he shouted, leaving the door ajar. "Gimli! Get back here!"

Sam and Legolas shared another look, and then hurried after the colonel. They had some things to discuss with the dwarf.

* * *

For all that they'd done to get home; cross a continent, fought in two wars, spent days going without food or sleep, they were strangely reluctant to go home. After sending word back to Stargate Command they found themselves blindsided by things to do. Something always needed to be done, set up, seen to, or allocated. They had all agreed that anything that needed to be done had to be done before they returned home, since there was no telling when (or if) they'd ever find a way back to Middle Earth.

First there was the assistance from the Asgard. They all agreed that it would receive heartier acceptance if they accompanied the groups of small grey aliens. Even two months after the battle there were still people suffering from wounds, and despite everyone's best efforts infection was rampant. The lingering cold was the only thing that kept disease from spreading just as quickly.

There was packing, of course. They all had full wardrobes now, thanks to Aragorn and Eowen (in Gondoran and Rohan styles), two sets of armor (one for Rohan, another for Gondor), and any number of gifts given from people from both kingdoms. There was also land to see to. Daniel would have choked if someone told him he'd come out of this not only wealthy but also a landed member of the Gondoran nobility. Yet here he was, with a fiefdom of ten square miles of fertile farmland and teeming forest.

The elves that attended Aragorn's coronation also brought gifts; clothing, weapons, and several tomes of elvish history for him. Even the dwarves had made their offerings to the heroes, as they were known, the primary gifts being jewels and raw mithril; something even Gimli marveled over. Daniel did know who was more embarrassed, SG1 or the hobbits, who'd taken on what had to be a perpetual look of wide-eyed surprise since the influx began. Merry had overheard one of the Gondoran nobles talking about making them official high lords of the realm, and he and Pip had taken to running the other direction whenever they were approached by more than one noble at a time.

SG-1 weren't the only ones to be leaving soon. Frodo had decided the hobbits would start back to the Shire on the same day they departed for Earth. The declaration was met with sadness from everyone, but the hobbit remained steadfast. Merry, Pippin, and Sam didn't look nearly as resolute, but they followed Frodo's lead. The archeologist sighed. Of all of them, Fordo had changed the most during their journey. When they first met he'd been happy, if burdened by the responsibility he had to carry. The last months had seen that change to quite and serious. In the two months since meeting up again he'd rarely seen the dark-haired hobbit as much as smile.

Daniel shook himself, focused instead on the railing in front of him, the spread of Pellenor Field beyond the city. All in all, they would be taking a good wagon-load home, each. All of it had to be documented before it went through the gate, then again once it went through quarantine back on Earth. _That _was something he didn't look forward to; a mandatory 48 hour stay in the infirmary to make sure they weren't bringing anything hazardous back with them while their possessions were catalogued for governmental records.

Finally, after another three days and a farewell feast that left him with a pounding headache, they were about to set out for Minas Ithil. He was the first person up, watching the sun as it rose above the mountains; a golden ball just topping the peaks. Jack insisted they'd be able to come back, but Daniel wasn't so sure.

"You seem reluctant to return home, Daniel," Gandalf said as he walked onto the large terrace.

The archeologist chuckled. "A little," he admitted. "Just when I was getting used to the idea of being Lord Daniel Jackson…" he trailed off. He knew what the problem was. Just like Abydos, he'd stopped thinking of Middle Earth as somewhere he was stuck. He'd started thinking of it as home. "Now I'm wondering if I'll ever come back."

It was Gandalf's turn to chuckle. "Of course you'll be back. Sooner than you'd think, I imagine. As if the Hobbits would let you stay away for any length of time."

A large hand settled on Daniel's shoulder. "Don't suppose you'd like a trip through the 'Gate, Gandalf? Something you've never experienced before?"

The wizard gave him a wry look. "There are several things I've never experienced, Daniel. I daresay traveling through your Stargate will remain on the list. At least, for another year or so in your own time."

As Gandalf walked back inside Daniel fought the urge to ask him if that's when they'd be back He'd learned that when the wizard was being cryptic that's all the answer you would get out of him. The archeologist settled back to watch the rest of the sunrise. A year before he got to see this again.

That wouldn't be so bad.

_Fin_


	37. The Long List of Thankyou's

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU everyone who didn't give up hope this would be finished. Who pushed, prodded, occasionally begged, and kept me writing. Once again, I apologize that it took so long to get here, but… better late than never.

Special, deeply heartfelt thanks goes out to GG, Mara, J, Fool of a Spacemonkey, Celeste, Watershadow and Jessica, Amelia, PhBee, J, Falan, Celeste, Frances Holland, Daughter of Bast, organized chaos, otsi, and Nala, darkstranger380, nomuse, Harriet, Frances Holland, otsi., dietcokechic, organized-chaos, J, Brianne, Cheysuli, and PHBee, Frances Holland, Jade, Airlia de Lioncourt, Celeste Seafairer, Cheysuli, shanna, Harriet, J, BRUMMIE-BABE, Lady Cinnibar, Frances Holland, Harriet, brianne, Cheysuli, stormy, CelesteAmelia, organized-chaoLizzie, Mike, J, BRUMMIE-BABEKrissy, otsi, Obsidian (twice :)), Shanna, silverkeeper, and Falan, otsi, H. Puck hoellenwauwau, Shanna anon Frances Holland, Elwen half-elven, Jalenn, Brummie Babe, and Harriet, Brummie-Babe, nefernetera, mdlee mdlee, Stephanie Hall, nefernetera, Amy C Harriet, watershadow, Francis Holland, PoOntZ, Shanna, Celeste, carmsfic, Eris, Kits, Krissy, and Jacquline Benito, Rooni (for both reviews!), nefernetera, shanna, Eris, Doggettlover, silverkeeper, Elwen half-elven and J, nefernetera, Rooni, J, dietcokechic (x2), Shanna, Kits, Conner52, Eris, Rai, Linda, Kaitland, jchild, Elwen half-elven, Alexandra, zair, Doggettlover, Neo-Queen Saturnity, Brianne, Amy C, Kain, Gallant, Chantal, menelaeriel, mabtng, Hunter, rolo-rooni, Stephanie Hall, Tower, TaffyCat3, rhona wilshaw, mdlee mdlee, Pete (x2), Rolo Rooni (x3), Shanna, Kain Gallant, Kolinshar Jackie-chan Benito, Colonel Sho, J, Kaitland, Alexandra, Kieren Bloodblade she-elf, Kits, Kestryl O'Brien, joea64, lexie, G. 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I read each and every one, took suggestions to heart (I have a box full of them still waiting to be implemented) and loved reading them. You guys are wonderful and the only reason this story was finished!!! I apologize if I missed anyone, let me know and I'll add you!! Once again, Thank you for your support!!!!!


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